


Ordinary Librarian

by Worker_9



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Biting, Blow Jobs, Bodily Fluids, Books, Breast Fucking, Chess, Computers, Cunnilingus, Danmaku, Diving, Esperanto, F/M, Festivals, Hair-pulling, Illusions, Journalism, Kissing, Library, Loss of Virginity, Multi, Photography, Pubic Hair, Scarlet Devil Mansion, Spanking, Standard Diving Dress, Tail Touching, Tea, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism, Wing Pulling, Zettai Ryouiki, ear touching, mermaid, mild scent kink, nuclear physics, tai chi, tail pulling, zen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-01-28 00:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 55,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12593740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Worker_9/pseuds/Worker_9
Summary: Aeda had never had any success with girls. When he found a strange book with details of a ritual to send him to another world, he decided to try it. All he had to lose was his virginity.Request fill for Anonymous.





	1. Seven Element Summoning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous/gifts).



The thermocouple gauge was reading off the scale. Not long now, thought Aeda. Not long until I find out if I’m crazy. The diffusion pump, still dragging the last few air molecules away in a fountain of boiling oil, had pulled the steel chamber down to hard vacuum. The chamber rested above one point of the chalk heptagram he’d drawn on the carpet. Most of the other equipment was safely outside the surrounding circle.

The rest of the elements had been simpler. A burning tealight candle, a bowl of distilled water, a chunk of lignum vitae hardwood, a tiny bead of pure gold, a cut diamond—also very small but of perfect color and clarity, and a piece from a genuine lunar meteorite. They hadn’t been cheap, but what else was he going to spend his meager public library wages on? He’d rather stay home reading than go out drinking, and he had no girlfriend to drain his bank account. The book had claimed these small samples would suffice. They would serve only as a beacon, with the spiritual energy supplied from elsewhere.

The book itself, the cause of this whole affair, sat dead center of the heptagram. Aeda remembered the day he’d found it, awaiting re-shelving on the returns cart like any other book. It was made of calf skin velum, and hand written in neat uncial script. The library had books like that, in the special collection, but they weren’t for lending. His first thought was that somebody had sneaked it out, and one of his co-workers was going to be in serious trouble. But examining it more carefully, he was sure he’d never seen it before. He hadn’t even recognized the European-looking language. He’d gone to find a manager.

Fetching a manager had turned out to be a mistake. When he’d brought her to the cart, the book was gone. He’d felt like an idiot. She’d made some sarcastic comment, and he’d made some feeble excuse before returning to work.

When he got home, Aeda had been shocked to see the book sitting on his desk. Had somebody broken in? Would he be blamed for stealing it? He’d searched the apartment in barely suppressed panic but found no signs of forced entry. He’d even bought a surveillance camera, which had also spotted nothing. At least it hadn’t been completely useless, because it was now pointed at the vacuum chamber’s view-port, waiting for the nuclear reaction too dangerous to look at with the naked eye.

Aeda’s unease had only increased after he’d translated the book’s title. It was simple enough: “La Metodo de Vojaĝi al la Lando da Iluzio,” meaning “The Method of Travel to the Land of Illusion.” It was written in Esperanto, an anachronistically modern language for a book straight out of medieval times. If it was a prank, somebody was taking it disconcertingly seriously.

And Esperanto was hardly the best language for ancient Chinese philosophy. The book was a treatise on Wu Xing, the system of thought based around five elements. To the traditional fire, water, wood, metal, and earth, the book added two more: moon and sun. The translation had been hard work.

It wasn’t all abstract theory. The final chapter included instructions for building some kind of portal to transport a person to the titular land. It stressed that he should travel there as soon as possible, and that he would be well looked after if he did. It was worryingly lacking in other details. Aeda wasn’t sure if he believed it, but he’d never found a good explanation for how he got the book in the first place. He’d give it a try.

The sticking point was the element of ‘sun’. He could buy all the others, but he couldn’t keep a piece of the sun in his bedroom. He’d read and re-read the text, and eventually concluded that anything with the essential property of ‘sunness’ should work. As far as he could tell, that meant sustained nuclear fusion.

Aeda had heard of Farnsworth-Hirsch fusors. He’d though they were easy to make. Real nuclear fusion on your desk! He’d been disappointed to learn that most fusors were fake. Far from being a “star in a jar”, the average so-called fusor was nothing but a fancy plasma globe. But the real thing was possible. It was difficult and expensive, sure, but he had the time and money. And he was a librarian—of course he could do the research. And now, several months after he’d lugged the heavy old transformer up the stairs, after he’d registered as sole trader of Illuzio Consulting and actually bought the deuterium, after countless other minor but important details, he was sitting alone, ready to fuel the device.

The hiss of deuterium gas flowing through the needle valve was almost inaudible over the whir of the vacuum pumps. He waited for the pressure to reach the correct range then turned up the power. 30000 volts ionized the deuterium molecules and smashed them together with stellar force. Aeda felt growing excitement as he saw the pink glow on the monitor. This was it, it had to be. The elements were all in place.

Aeda made one last check of his safety precautions. The note left for his family, explaining that he wasn’t dead but asking them not to search for him. The timed switches, already tested and configured to shut everything down safely after he was gone. The Geiger counter, quietly ticking the background count, reassuring him that the shielding was intact. His warm coat, and the backpack full of meticulously chosen survival gear. Aeda picked up the book and sat cross-legged in the center of the heptagram. Nothing for it now but to start the chant.

“Potenco de elemento,  
Sendu min al Gensokjo.”

The sound of the pumps faded to nothingness. Everything went dark. Aeda laughed softly to himself and heard nothing. Did this mean he was crazy, or it did it mean he was sane? He felt like he was floating.

* * * * *

Aeda could smell books. His vision recovered, and he heard a voice. Somebody was talking to him.

“Ĉu vi estas bibliotekisto?”

He looked up. Sitting in a plush armchair was a young woman wearing pink pajamas and night-cap, her slippers resting on a low table. She was short and somewhat chubby looking, with long purple hair tied in multi-colored ribbons. She was watching him expectantly. Aeda tried to think. Bibliotekisto? “Uh, say again?” he said. “I only really studied reading.”

“Oh, English. Are you are a librarian?”

“Er, yes. Or at least I was. I followed the instructions in the book.”

“I summoned you because I need another assistant. Your presence here is proof of your qualification. You’ll get full room and board, and free access to the library when you’re off duty. You won’t find a better offer in all of Gensokyo.”

Aeda looked around. This library put his workplace to shame. Rows of shelving as far as the eye could see, fading into the dimly lit distance. The sight of so many books almost made him forgot his apprehension. There were more here than he’d seen in all his previous life, and he knew he wanted to stay. But this was an employment negotiation, and he didn’t want to seem too eager.

“And the pay?” he asked.

“Same as the maids. You’re officially working for Remilia, so it’s not my concern.”

“Who’s Remilia?”

“Remilia Scarlet. The Scarlet Devil herself. The mistress of this house.”

“That’s an ominous title,” said Aeda.

“Hmmm, what’s your blood type?”

“Type A, I think.”

“Oh, just as I thought. That’s good. But still, you are an Outsider. It’s best for you to stay away from her. And that goes double for her sister.” 

Aeda fought back the suspicion that he was making a terrible mistake. But with so many books here, and old books by the look of them, he wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. “I’m interested in the job,” he said.

“But you haven’t introduced yourself yet,” said the woman. “Who are you?”

“The name’s Aeda.”

“I’m Patchouli. Patchouli Knowledge.” She slowly dragged herself from the chair and extended a hand to him. Aeda took it and shook politely. “What do you have in that bag?” she asked. “Any magic items?”

“You know, if the ritual hadn’t actually worked, I’d have said magic wasn’t real. It’s still hard to believe. I don’t have any magic items.”

“Not even a phone? I thought all Outsiders carried those.” Aeda’s phone was still in his pocket. He took it out. No signal of course. He switched it to airplane mode to save battery. “See, you do have one,” said Patchouli.

“It’s not magic.”

“It’s the magic of the Outside World. You’ll let me borrow it, won’t you?”

It wasn’t like he had much use for it now. “I don’t see why not,” said Aeda.

“Do you have any more items like that?”

Aeda opened the backpack. Beneath the water bottles and energy bars was his laptop, loaded with ebooks. He’d even brought a solar charger big enough to charge it. It was too dark for the charger, but the battery was full, and Aeda felt comforted by all that knowledge at his fingertips. He took the laptop out to show Patchouli.

“A bigger magic item,” she said. “I’d like to examine that too.”

“Sure, but we were talking about a job offer. I can show you the electronics later. Let’s discuss employment. What would I have to do?”

“Organize the library of course. With so many books it’s hard to keep track of them all.”

“I’m familiar with classification schemes. What did you have in mind? Dewey Decimal? Library of Congress Classification?” Aeda had memorized a lot of codes. He hoped Patchouli would want to use something he knew.

“Oh, no, those are all useless. What’s the code for a book that moves on its own? A book that drives you insane if you read it? Books in languages unknown to humans? Books that kill on touch?”

“I’m having second thoughts about this job,” said Aeda. “It sounds dangerous.”

“Don’t worry about that. The dangerous books are all safely locked away. And Koakuma will help you.” Patchouli clapped her hands and called out. “Koakuma! Come meet my new assistant!”

Aeda saw a figure moving in the darkness. It was a woman in a black dress, flying toward him on bat-like wings. She had long red hair, and another pair of smaller wings growing from her head. She hovered in front of Aeda, slowly moving up and down in the air. She was taller and slimmer than Patchouli.

“Ah, a human. And an Outsider too.” Koakuma reached out to touch Aeda. She grabbed his chin and pushed his head around, floating in to examine his face. “You summoned a tasty looking guy,” said Koakuma. Her sharp teeth glinted in the dim light.

“Koakuma! Don’t scare my assistant!”

“Relax. I’m the kind of devil who very rarely eats humans. And especially not humans who work for Miss Scarlet.”

“He’s going to be helping you with my library organization plan,” said Patchouli. “Fetch the notes, please.”

Koakuma fluttered away, and returned with a thick stack of paper. She set it on the table, and Aeda took a look. Of course, it was hand-written Esperanto. He flicked through the pages. It looked complicated.

“What will my hours be?” asked Aeda.

“Oh, there’s no need for that kind of formality,” replied Patchouli. “Just get the job done before you die.”

“Before I die?” Dark thoughts of x-rays and lead shielding flashed through Aeda’s head. “Something you know that I don’t?”

Patchouli raised an eyebrow. “You are mortal, are you not? Your kind rarely lives much more than 80 years, so you have a ‘dead line’. You can’t work when you’re dead. You’d better get moving if you’re to finish on time.”

Even with such a big library, that didn’t sound so bad. “You said something about room and board?” asked Aeda.

“Ah, yes. That would be Sakuya’s responsibility. Koakuma, show Aeda to the servant’s quarters, would you? It’s getting late, and he can start work tomorrow morning.”

Aeda picked up the stack of paper, and his own items. He saw a large double door in the distance, but Koakuma flew toward a smaller door nearby. “Follow me, Outsider,” she said. They passed into a narrow corridor. “You are, of course, free to travel wherever you wish,” said Koakuma, voice vaguely threatening. “But I do advise you to stick to the places I show you. It would be, shall we say, _unwise_ for an Outsider to travel alone beyond them, even within this mansion. I’m sure Sakuya will accompany you on her trips to the Human Village, if you wish to meet others of your kind.”

Koakuma opened doors as they passed. At last, they reached a heavy wooden door. “Your bedroom,” she said. “You are to wait inside while I find Sakuya.”

Aeda headed inside. He reached for the light switch, and was startled by a loud crackling noise as the light turned on. Shimmering colors settled into a steady white glow. It looked like no light he’d seen before. The windowless room was small, but spotlessly clean and luxuriously furnished. Thick carpet, a four-poster bed, a wooden nightstand with an expensive looking clock sitting on it, and an enormous wardrobe. The walls were covered in richly patterned wallpaper. He put down his bag and took off his coat.

Aeda sat on the bed and thought. Too much was happening too quickly. The ritual had undoubtedly worked, and he was indeed sane. The implications of this were hard for him to process. He’d never been one to believe in superstitions, but now he was somewhere unknown, with people who almost certainly weren’t human. And “Scarlet Devil”? It didn’t sound good. Maybe the only reason he wasn’t freaking out was because he didn’t entirely believe it.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” said Aeda. A young woman with silver hair entered, wearing a blue and white maid’s uniform.

“Good evening, Aeda. I am Sakuya Izayoi, chief maid of this house,” said the woman, her voice clipped and formal.

“Good evening,” Aeda replied. How had she arrived so quickly? He’d been in the room less than a minute and Sakuya had been nowhere in sight in the corridor outside.

“I see Koakuma has already given you the tour. Not much remains for me to explain. Breakfast will be served at 8am in the servant’s dining room, and you will arrive promptly or you will go without. One of my subordinates will clean your room and take out your laundry while you’re there. We have already stocked the wardrobe with additional clothes of your size. You have no formal working hours, and you will not be expected to work hard. Just keep Miss Knowledge happy. She might not show it, but she does sometimes enjoy the company of humans. And I am perpetually busy, so I will leave you here.”

Don’t just assume I’ll accept the job, thought Aeda. But then again, what else could he do? And he did want access to that library. Before he could say anything, Sakuya left, as suddenly as she’d arrived.

Aeda packed his things away and began reading Patchouli’s notes. They were written in the same verbose style as the book, but at least this time the subject matter was familiar. Her ideas on library classification were fascinating, and Aeda lost track of time as he read. He caught himself yawning. Time to go to bed, he though. He synchronized his phone to the clock on the nightstand and set an alarm. He didn’t want energy bars for breakfast.

* * * * *

Aeda’s phone woke him at 7:30am the next morning. Plenty of time to shower and dress before breakfast. The bathroom was as luxurious as the bedroom, and although they were a little formal, the clothes he’d been provided fit perfectly.

Aeda checked his phone as he stepped into the dining room. Right on time. Sitting at the long table were about twenty women in maid uniforms, all with delicate insect-like wings protruding from their backs. They abruptly stopped their conversation and turned to stare at him.

“Ohayōgozaimasu!” said one of the maids cheerfully. Japanese?

“Good morning,” Aeda replied.

“Eigo?” The maids muttered amongst themselves. The one who’d greeted him stood and bowed. “I am maid,” she said, in halting English. The others clapped politely.

Aeda returned the bow. “I’m a librarian.” The maids stared at him blankly. “I’m working for Patchouli.”

“Ah, Knowledge-san.” She sat down again, apparently satisfied, and the maids resumed their chatter.

Aeda took a seat at the table. An impressive spread of food was set before him: toast, butter, back bacon, fried eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, hash browns, and black pudding. He passed on the latter—it gave him an uneasy feeling. The rest of the food was delicious.

The maids didn’t seem to be eating much, but they were all drinking tea. It was loose-leaf English Breakfast, brewed in a fine porcelain teapot. There was a small jug of milk, a bowl of sugar cubes, and a dish of lemon slices. Seeing his cup empty, the maid sitting next to him poured Aeda some tea. He thanked her in English and tried it. It was as good as the food.

After a very pleasant breakfast, Aeda left for the library. Patchouli was nowhere in sight, but Koakuma was already there, fluttering about near the high ceiling. This library isn’t really designed for people who can’t fly, thought Aeda. He’d been planning on taking a general survey of the place, but most of the books were out of reach.

“Good morning, Koakuma!” he called up to her.

Koakuma drifted down to earth. “Good morning.”

“I was wondering,” said Aeda, “if there’s a ladder I can use.”

Koakuma led him to a dusty step-ladder in the back. After some brief discussion, Aeda found himself holding a clipboard, pencil, and paper. He did some quick mental arithmetic. There had to be at least 1000 blocks of shelving here. Time to get to work.

* * * * *

Several hours later, Aeda had a basic map of the library sketched out. But filling in the details was easier said than done. With no real deadline, no supervision, and mountains of fascinating books, a good number in English, of course he was going to read. He was sitting on the floor reading when he heard a clattering sound above him.

Aeda looked up. Flying through the air was what he could only describe as a witch. Black and white dress, witch’s hat, and the kind of broomstick you saw on Halloween. She was, however, rather more attractive than the stereotypical witch. She had blond hair, and wore a pink scarf and gloves, despite the library being warm. She swooped down and skidded to a halt beside him, the end of the broom stirring up dust from the carpet.

After all I’ve seen already, thought Aeda, I shouldn’t really be surprised. “Hello,” he said, not getting up.

“Hi there.” She spoke with a trace of a foreign accent. “You must be that guy Patche summoned. Gossip travels fast when someone’s messing with the barrier. What’s your name?”

“It’s Aeda,” he replied, still mostly focused on the book.

“I’m Reimu,” she said. She knelt behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. The brim of her hat dug uncomfortably into the back of his head. “What are you reading?”

“The Inventions of the Kappa.”

“Interesting, very interesting,” said the witch. “I’ll borrow it.”

“I don’t think this is a lending library.”

“It’s okay. Patche lets me borrow things all the time. But don’t tell her I’ve got it, ’cause if she knows she might want it back.” The witch reached around him with both hands and grabbed the book. Surely that wasn’t the normal way to take something? And he hadn’t finished reading it. On the other hand, it was actual female contact. She was practically hugging him. Her body was warm against his back. And if she was a witch, maybe she would turn him into a frog if he refused. With so many books here, who’d miss just one? He closed the book and let her take it.

Aeda heard a shout. “Marisa! What are you doing to my assistant!?” Patchouli had arrived without him noticing. And calling the witch Marisa?

“Nothing,” said the witch, releasing Aeda and hopping back on the broom, book in hand.

“And what are you doing with my book!?” Patchouli shouted, before falling into a fit of coughing.

“What book?” asked the witch, hand behind her back.

Patchouli recovered and stood up straight. “You’re stealing it! Give it back!”

“As if I’d do a thing like that. Anyway, gotta dash! Bye!” The witch accelerated to the open window with dazzling speed. A shower of pink sparks shot out the end of her broom. The sparks assembled into a heart shape, then turned into smoke, which hid her escape through the window.

“That damn magician,” said Patchouli. “I clearly stated that she was banned after the last incident. Meiling must be sleeping on duty again. Aeda, you mustn’t let Marisa steal anything more.”

“She said her name was Reimu.”

“Trying to pin the blame on that poor shrine maiden. You can’t trust a word Marisa says. Anyway, it’s well past noon. I sent Koakuma to get some tea and sandwiches. You may join us if you’d like.”

They returned to Patchouli’s table. Koakuma was waiting for them, balancing a tea service in one hand and a tray of triangle-cut sandwiches in the other. She poured tea for them all. It was a superb quality oolong, even better than the high-mountain Formosa he’d once tried.

Neither Patchouli nor Koakuma were particularly sociable. Patchouli asked some perfunctory questions about his work before returning to her book. Koakuma cleared away the remains of the lunch and Aeda returned to his library mapping project.

* * * * *

The afternoon passed quickly. Aeda felt he was making real progress. A little before 6pm, Koakuma caught his attention and informed him that the work day was over and dinner was being served. He enjoyed an excellent meal with the maids before returning to his room. He turned his laptop on briefly, but with no way to charge it he needed to conserve battery. His phone was running low too. He’d have to talk to Patchouli about that.

Back in the library, Patchouli was still reading in her chair. Aeda hadn’t seen her in the dining room. Maybe she’d just stayed where she was. There was a tea service on the table, and a plate with what looked like cake crumbs. She was absorbed in her book, unaware of his presence.

“Uh, Miss Knowledge…”

She blinked and looked up. “Oh, it’s you. Just Patchouli is fine. Would you like some tea? It’s a little cold now.” She set the book down on the table.

“Thank you,” said Aeda, accepting the tea. It was Japanese-style sencha, and he guessed it would have been delicious if he’d arrived earlier. “You wanted to see the electronics,” he said. “The Outside World magic.” He put the phone, laptop, and solar charger next to the tea.

Patchouli opened the laptop. “This is the most powerful one, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. But it won’t keep working indefinitely. It’s powered by electricity stored inside it. It uses lithium ions, I’m not sure exactly how. It can be recharged, but without an electricity supply I’ll need to use this solar charger and sunlight. I suppose it’s too late in the day for sunlight, but is there any way I can go outdoors?”

“Oh, there’s no need to go outside,” said Patchouli. “Sunlight is easy.” She raised a hand and a glowing yellow orb formed at her fingertips. It grew brighter as Aeda watched, rapidly becoming too bright to look at directly.

“Is that thing safe? I mean, for ordinary people like me?” asked Aeda, remembering his own experiments. He felt jealous of how easily Patchouli had created her own imitation sun.

“Safe enough. Don’t touch it, and don’t stare at it. It’s not a real sun,” said Patchouli. “So I just put it next to the charger?”

“Careful you don’t overheat it. And it needs to be plugged in before it will do anything.”

“Plug it in then,” said Patchouli. She set the glowing orb flying in a tight orbit around her, casting harsh shadows on the bookshelves. Aeda plugged in the charger and turned the laptop on.

“All right, it’s working,” said Aeda. “There’s the charge indicator.” He stood beside Patchouli’s chair and passed her the laptop.

“What do all the other symbols mean?” She pushed a few keys experimentally. Aeda was immediately worried. He didn’t have backups of his files, and Patchouli had apparently never used a computer. But he remembered Marisa reading over his shoulder. It would be nice if Patchouli did the same. She was just as good-looking, even under the unflattering light of the sun orb. He could see the outline of her breasts through her pajamas. He supposed it was too much to hope for her to squeeze them against his back too. Time to give her some emergency tuition before she breaks something.

“That little arrow,” said Aeda as he leaned in to point it out, “is called the mouse cursor. Like the animal, because the first ones were controlled by a device with a wire sticking out like a mouse’s tail. But this one is controlled by the touch pad.” Aeda pointed it out. Patchouli put her fingers on the touch pad and the cursor flew wildly across the screen. “You can make the mouse cursor move wherever you want by moving your fingers on the touch pad.”

“It’s broken,” said Patchouli. “It’s not going where I want it to.”

“You just touch it lightly with one finger. It doesn’t need much movement.” Aeda had an idea. “How about I guide your hand with my own?”

“If it will make this disobedient rat obey me,” said Patchouli, “then please do so.”

Aeda placed his hand on top of Patchouli’s. He felt tense, but Patchouli didn’t react. All her attention was focused on the screen. “If you move your finger up, the mouse cursor moves up. Move it right, and the mouse cursor moves right. Touch it gently and move it like so.” He guided her hand to move the cursor around the screen.

“Can you make it bite things?” asked Patchouli.

“Yeah, it’s called ‘clicking’. Push down a little harder, like this, and you feel the touch pad go ‘click’?” He checked the visible icons. There was no real damage she could do, especially with no Internet access. “If you move it over one of the symbols—they’re called ‘icons’—and click it, something will happen.”

“What happens if I make it click that musical note?”

“Why don’t you try it yourself?” He released her hand. Slowly, her face showing great concentration, Patchouli moved the mouse cursor and clicked on the media player icon. Tinny music blared from the internal speakers.

“That’s the power of Outside World magic!” She paused for a while to listen. “Aeda, you seriously can’t let Marisa find out it does this. If she knows she’ll try to steal it for sure. What else can it do?”

Aeda gave Patchouli a quick lesson on computer use. She was a fast learner, and she was soon moving the cursor like she’d been doing it all her life. She was impressed by the games and music, but dismissed the ebooks as inferior to her own library. The glowing sun orb never faltered, and the laptop finished charging sooner than he’d expected. By the time the phone had finished charging too, it had already grown late.

“I’m going to bed now,” said Aeda. “You can play with it some more tomorrow.”

“Yes, it is getting late,” said Patchouli. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Aeda retired to his room, taking the laptop with him, and went to sleep.

* * * * *

Aeda’s second day of work started very much like the first. The breakfast was again excellent, and again he arrived at the library before Patchouli. He hoped to get some real work done without distraction.

It didn’t take long for his good intentions to slip away. Aeda was half-way up the ladder, pulling books to check the titles, when he saw a smiling face watching him from the other side.

“Hello again, _Reimu_ ,” said Aeda. “Or should I say Marisa?”

“Whoever said I was called Reimu?”

“You did,” said Aeda.

“Nonsense. Everybody knows I’m Marisa Kirisame, strongest magician in Gensokyo. You must have misheard.” She flew over the shelf and began circling Aeda.

“You here to steal more books?” asked Aeda.

“What on earth are you talking about? I’m just paying you a friendly visit. Surely you wouldn’t send away a cute girl like me?”

“Could you at least stop flying around me like that? I feel like I’m going to fall off the ladder.”

Marisa continued circling as fast as ever, and added a violent bouncing motion. “That’s no problem at all. I could easily catch you. I’m the fastest in all Gensokyo.”

Aeda descended the ladder. When he reached the floor, Marisa abruptly stopped her flight, and turned so she was riding side-saddle. She leaned back, and Aeda was sure she was going to fall, but she caught herself by hooking her legs over the broom. She dangled upside-down from her knees, holding onto her hat. She floated to Aeda and bobbed up and down in front of him, her face less than a foot from his.

“Do you always fly like that?” asked Aeda.

“Nah, I’m just bored. But you gotta admit, it’s pretty cool, right? I bet you never seen anyone fly as good as me.”

“I’ve seen Koakuma fly. She doesn’t need a broom.”

“Neither does Patche, if she ever bothers getting off that fat ass of hers. I’ll tell you a secret, Aeda. I don’t need the broom either. I mean, it does make flying easier, but that’s not its most important purpose.” Marisa took off her hat and placed it on Aeda’s head, letting her blond hair spill out. “Know what it is?”

“It shoots sparks?”

“That too, but that’s still not the most important reason. You see, because I’m such a refined and elegant lady,” said Marisa, still dangling from the broom, “it wouldn’t do for people to look up my skirt, would it? They might see my underwear.”

“Of course not,” said Aeda.

Marisa took the broom out from under her knees and pressed it into Aeda’s hand. She remained motionless in the air with no visible support. “Without the broom, if I swoop through the air—”, she spun around and zoomed vertically up, “then the wind might catch it, like so.” She dropped to the floor and her dress flared out, giving Aeda a glimpse of her frilly white bloomers. “Can’t let that happen.”

“Of course not,” said Aeda.

“You’re not from around here, so you’ve probably never seen a girl wearing bloomers before now, right?” asked Marisa.

“Yeah. Uh, I mean…” Too late, Aeda realized his mistake.

“Oh? So you were peeking up my skirt?” asked Marisa.

But you flashed them on purpose, thought Aeda. “It wasn’t like, I, uh…”

Marisa took the broom and tapped him lightly on the head with the bamboo end. “Such a bad library assistant,” said Marisa, grinning widely. “Looking at underwear when he’s supposed to be working. I’m gonna have to punish you.”

“How?” asked Aeda.

“Lemme guess, you’ve never kissed a girl before, have you?” Marisa stepped closer, her body nearly touching Aeda’s.

“I haven’t…”

Marisa took another step, bumping her chest against Aeda’s and pushing him back against the bookshelf. She stood on tip-toes and wrapped her arms around him. Her face was inches from his. “I’m gonna steal your first kiss, okay?”

If this was Marisa’s idea of punishment, Aeda certainly wasn’t going to complain. “Okay.”

Marisa pulled his face down and mashed her lips against his. What was he supposed to do? But Marisa quickly pulled away. “No good!” she said. “F grade! You’ve gotta do it properly or it doesn’t count!”

“What’s wrong?” asked Aeda.

“Don’t tense your lips like that. You’ve gotta be more relaxed.”

Easier said than done, thought Aeda. He closed his eyes and felt Marisa kiss him again. Her lips were soft and warm. He breathed through his nose and opened his mouth slightly. Marisa gently sucked his lips then broke the kiss.

“Better!” said Marisa. “But not good enough. Put your tongue in my mouth. Don’t rush it. Slowly, okay?” She grabbed Aeda’s head and pulled him in again.

Aeda extended his tongue and put it inside Marisa’s mouth. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth a little more. Her own wet tongue slipped over Aeda’s. He could feel her teeth.

Marisa pulled away. “Passing grade! I think that’s enough punishment for a first offense.” She stepped back and smiled. “Have you learned your lesson?”

Aeda was very tempted to say no. “Yes,” he said.

“Then because I’m so extremely generous, I’ll forgive you,” said Marisa. “And at least I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing my bra. You know why?”

“Because you’re not wearing one?” said Aeda.

“No, you moron! It’s ’cause it’s hidden under my dress. You trying to say my boobs are small?”

“Uh, of course not, I mean…”

“They’re nicer than Patche’s, aren’t they?”

“Er…” It had to be some kind of trick question. Aeda had no idea what he was supposed to say.

“Don’t tell me you like that old hag’s saggy cow tits?”

“They’re not saggy,” said Aeda.

“Oh?” Marisa stepped in closer. “And how would you know?” she asked, voice low and menacing. “Have you seen them?”

“I uh…”

“Didn’t think so! I’m gonna tell you straight, they’re definitely saggy. Breasts are much better when they’re firm and cute.” She thrust her chest out, bumping it against Aeda again. “Besides, they say any more than a handful is a waste. You think mine are wasteful?” Aeda didn’t say anything. “Well? If you’re not sure, why don’t you check?”

Goodbye, my life as a human, thought Aeda. I hope they treat frogs kindly here. He extended a hand and groped Marisa’s chest. She just stood there smirking.

“Well?” asked Marisa impatiently. “Is it more or less than a handful?”

“It’s—”

“Wrong!” interrupted Marisa. “You can’t measure them with clothes in the way.” She twirled round to show her back to Aeda. “There’s a zipper hidden under the flap.”

Aeda pulled the zipper down. He slid a hand inside and reached around Marisa’s chest. He could feel her bra. She stepped back into him, pushing him against the bookshelf, touching her body to his. His heart was pounding. He slipped a hand under her bra. Her skin was soft and smooth. He could feel a nipple. I’m really doing it, he thought. I’m really touching a breast. It felt more unreal than all the magical wonders he’d seen.

He heard a yell. “Aeda! What are you doing to Marisa!”

Aeda pulled his hand out at once. “Uh, nothing, I mean…”

“He was helping me remove a bug that flew into my dress,” said Marisa.

“And where’s that bug?” asked Patchouli.

“It must have escaped out the window,” said Marisa. “I’ll go hunt it.” She grabbed her hat and broom and made her own escape.

Patchouli stood facing Aeda with a severe look on her face. “You were touching her breast! I saw you!”

“I was…”

“You’re to get back to work at once.” Patchouli turned and walked away. Aeda climbed back up the ladder and continued his survey of the library.

* * * * *

A short while later, Koakuma showed up with sandwiches and tea. “I don’t think you’re in any real trouble,” said Koakuma. “Patchouli is probably just jealous. But don’t tell her I said that.”

“Where is she?” asked Aeda.

“I expect she’s sulking in her bedroom.”

Aeda sat on the floor eating quietly. He finished, and Koakuma cleared the tray away. The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully, and he saw neither Patchouli nor Koakuma again before he left for dinner.

* * * * *

The maids were as cheerful as ever. Aeda enjoyed a Japanese style meal, with miso soup, rice, and fish. Finishing his food, he pondered what to do next. He didn’t want to end the day on bad terms with Patchouli. She’d liked the computer, so he took it with him to the library.

Patchouli was back in her chair, reading as usual. She noticed Aeda approaching, and her eyes lit up on sight of the laptop.

“I thought you might want to borrow this again,” said Aeda.

“Oh, thank you.” Patchouli took the laptop and turned it on.

“The phone does a lot of the same things,” said Aeda, sitting in the other chair. “It’s not as good as the laptop, but it still plays games and music.” The phone was even more limited by the lack of Internet, but there was enough to keep him entertained. The two of them sat in silence, playing with the electronics. Aeda wished he’d brought headphones with him.

Patchouli was the first to speak. “Hey Aeda, what do you think of Marisa?”

“I haven’t known her for long. She seems like she’s a confident person. If she wants to do something, I don’t think she worries much about what other people might think.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I think so,” said Aeda.

There was a long silence, punctuated only by the clicking of the touch pad.

“Did you like her breasts?”

“I prefer bigger ones,” said Aeda.

“Oh.” Patchouli blushed and began clicking furiously. The sound of explosions burst through the silence as she started playing a shooting game. Aeda aimlessly poked at his phone until he heard the name entry music. He got up to check the screen, and was relieved to see he still had the high score. Patchouli looked up. “That was fun,” she said.

“Borrow the laptop if you like,” said Aeda. “I’m going to bed.”

“Thanks,” mumbled Patchouli.

“Good night, Patchouli,” said Aeda. He heard the sounds of the game starting again as he left the library. 

* * * * *

When Aeda entered the library the next morning, he saw Patchouli slumped in her chair asleep. A blanket was draped over her, presumably put there by Koakuma, who was flying around the shelves in the distance. The laptop lay open on the table, powered off.

Aeda kept quiet so as not to wake her and set to work. He kept a close eye on the windows. Marisa wasn’t going to sneak up on him this time. And sure enough, come late morning he heard a rattling sound and saw the shutters move. Marisa flew inside and landed next to him, resting her broom against the wall. This time she wasn’t wearing the scarf and gloves.

“Morning Aeda,” said Marisa, breathing hard. “You’re lucky I’m here. Meiling is super mad at me.”

“Who’s Meiling?” asked Aeda. Patchouli had mentioned her too. Presumably another employee of the mansion, but nobody had introduced her.

“Oh, just the guard. She’s got this strange idea that I’m not allowed in here. Weird, huh?”

“Yeah, weird,” said Aeda, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “And what are you doing here today?”

“I came to visit my good friend Aeda, of course.” She clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Is Patche around?”

“I haven’t seen her, but she’s probably here by now,” said Aeda.

“I’ll take a look.” Marisa shot vertically into the air, leaving her broom behind. Aeda looked up. She was wearing Western style panties this time. He could even see the lace trim as she floated back to the floor.

“Patche is doing something with a computer,” said Marisa. “You don’t see many of those round here. I wonder where she got it?”

“It’s mine,” said Aeda. “I brought it with me.”

“Oh?” said Marisa. She hugged Aeda and stood on tip-toes to put her face close to his. “That’s good, ’cause you’ll definitely let me borrow it, won’t you Aeda?”

“Patchouli might be unhappy about that.”

“Well, I don’t need to borrow it right away. Patchouli is distracted so I can bother you undisturbed.” She smiled at Aeda. “So, which looks better, the bloomers or the panties?”

“The panties!” Aeda blurted out.

“Oh? Really? Didn’t I punish you for peeking already?”

“Maybe you’d better punish me some more,” said Aeda, feeling hopeful.

“For a second offense, you’re not gonna get away with just kissing,” said Marisa. “But maybe there’s something else you can do with your tongue…”

“What’s that?”

“I know Patche’s ritual needed a virgin, but I didn’t think it needed somebody totally clueless,” said Marisa. “I mean oral sex.” She kissed Aeda before he could react.

“I, er…”

“Well, Aeda, it’s your lucky day. You’re gonna get Marisa’s special lesson. I’m gonna teach you how to use your tongue. And if you work hard at your studies, I’m gonna give you a special reward.”

Aeda’s heart was racing. He wasn’t expecting this, but he wasn’t going to miss the chance. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“I’m gonna borrow you for a while. You must be sick of spending all your time in the library, right?”

“I don’t mind it.”

“No way, it’s totally boring. And Patchouli might interrupt if we stay.” Marisa picked up the broom and grabbed Aeda by the waist. “Hold on tight!” Aeda’s stomach lurched as they shot into the air. Marisa put her mouth to his ear. “We’ve gonna buzz Patche.”

Marisa took the broom low between the bookshelves, twisting and turning like a roller-coaster. They homed in on Patchouli, staying hidden until the last second, when Marisa suddenly pulled up and flew over the top of a tall bookshelf. The light of Patchouli’s sun orb was dazzling.

“Oh crap!” said Marisa, as she dropped them behind cover. “She’s got a spell up already!” The sun orb streaked across the ceiling and blocked the open window. Aeda looked up. Hovering above the bookshelf was Patchouli.

“Stop right there! Don’t steal my assistant!” Patchouli’s voice echoed through the library. She glared down at them.

“Hey, relax, Patche. I’m just borrowing him,” replied Marisa.

“Forbidden! He’s on duty!”

“I’ll bring him back in an hour or so.”

“You’ll put him down right now!”

“But we’re gonna have so much fun…”

“You’re planning on something lewd, aren’t you?”

Marisa chuckled. “Oh, you think so?” She squeezed Aeda and licked his neck. “I’d _never_ do something like that.”

“Put him down at once!” yelled Patchouli. The sun orb flared brighter and split into hundreds of smaller orbs. They zoomed toward Marisa, who twirled the broom around, making Aeda dizzy. He could smell smoke as the orbs burned through Marisa’s dress. Her hat fell to the floor.

“No fair! You know I can’t dodge with a passenger,” said Marisa. “The g-forces will squish him like a bug!”

“Take it seriously!” yelled Patchouli. “That wasn’t even a spell card. You let it hit on purpose.”

“Look, you ruined my dress. It’s practically falling off.” Marisa reached inside the tattered dress and pulled out an octagonal block of wood. “But the mini-Hakkero is unharmed.”

Marisa pointed the wooden block at Patchouli. A blaze of white light shot out, forcing Aeda to close his eyes. He opened them in time to see the smoking remains of Patchouli’s pajamas drift to the floor. She hovered in the air wearing only her hat, and her pink bra and panties. Her breasts really were a lot bigger than Marisa’s.

“That does it!” yelled Patchouli. “I’m getting serious!” The lights turned off, plunging the library into darkness. “Wood sign,” said Patchouli. “Grasping Vines!”

A swarm of glowing arrows burst from the floor, each trailing a stream of green sparks. The sparks formed tight columns that writhed in the air, forming a cage around Aeda and Marisa. The swirling motion left trails in Aeda’s vision. The sparks closed in. He could see no escape.

“Don’t worry, I know this one,” said Marisa. “There’s a safe spot. We’ll just time it out.” She landed the broom on the floor and pushed Aeda down on his back. She sprawled on top of him. “Stay down and don’t move,” she said. The columns of sparks danced in a tightening net. They grazed over the two of them, coming mere inches from their bodies. Aeda could smell ozone. They were trapped.

Patchouli floated closer. “You think I didn’t know that safe spot?” she asked. “You’re too predictable. Here’s a little trick Sakuya taught me.”

The sparks stopped moving. “Huh?” said Marisa. The sparks dimmed, and Marisa cautiously touched one. It didn’t move.

“You’re not timing out anything,” said Patchouli. “I can keep this up indefinitely, and I’m not letting you go until you apologize.”

Marisa wriggled on top of Aeda. The two of them were firmly tied together by the frozen lines of sparks. He could feel her bare legs where the dress was missing. “Hey Aeda, help turn me round. Maybe I can give you your lesson right here. Ooh, this is fun!” said Marisa.

“It’s not fun,” said Patchouli.

“Tying me up with a hot guy? I thought ineffective punishments were my specialty,” said Marisa. “Patche, punish me some more!”

“Stop having fun!” shouted Patchouli.

“Aeda, distract her.” said Marisa. “Break her concentration.”

“How?”

“I dunno. Say something shocking.”

There was one thing on his mind. “Patchouli,” said Aeda, “let me lick your pussy.”

“Mukyu!” said Patchouli. She blushed, her pale skin turning pink. The green sparks resumed their motion, streamed to the ceiling, and vanished. “…you’d really do that?”

“No way!” said Marisa. “Aeda, you’re supposed to be licking _me_! C’mon, you don’t really want to go down on Patche, do you? _I_ took a bath right before I came here. I bet Patche hasn’t washed all day.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Aeda.

“Aeda, please, you said you would,” said Marisa.

“I’ll let you touch my breasts,” said Patchouli.

“Is that all? Aeda, I’ll suck your cock. You can cum in my mouth. You can cum in my pussy, I already prepared for that. Don’t you want to lose your virginity?”

“You can touch me however you like,” said Patchouli.

Marisa pulled her panties down. She sat on the floor, legs spread, and brushed her soft pubic hair aside. “Aeda, look!” she said. She pulled her pussy open with her fingers. “Aeda,” said Marisa, “why isn’t your tongue down here?”

“Patchouli,” said Aeda, sitting up, “you think Marisa deserves to go first?”

“Of course not,” said Patchouli. “She breaks into my library, steals my books, attempts to steal my assistant, and now sits on my floor exposing herself like that. She’s a very rude person. I’m glad you have better manners, Aeda. Please give _me_ oral sex.”

“Aeda,” said Marisa, pulling the remains of her dress over her head, “if you go down on Patchouli, I’m going to distract you so much you’ll do a terrible job and she’ll hate it.” Marisa unbuckled her bra and tossed it aside.

“I won’t hate it,” said Patchouli.

“Marisa, you can distract me however you like,” said Aeda.

“Would you kiss me first?” asked Patchouli.

“Of course, but I feel overdressed here,” said Aeda. “I’m taking my shirt off.” He dropped it on the floor, then got up and hugged Patchouli. Her body was soft and warm. Aeda had thought it unkind of Marisa to call Patchouli’s ass fat, but she wasn’t wrong. Yet despite the extra weight, Patchouli had an hourglass figure, with large breasts and thighs, and only a little extra softness on her belly. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Aeda pulled her closer and kissed her.

Compared to Marisa’s aggressive tongue action, Patchouli was a gentle kisser. She let Aeda glide his tongue into her mouth and barely moved her own. Aeda was enjoying the sensation when he felt a pair of hands force their way between him and Patchouli. Marisa was unbuttoning his pants.

Here comes the distraction, thought Aeda. Marisa yanked his pants to the floor. She shoved a hand in his underpants and grabbed his cock. “Hard already!” said Marisa. “And it’s big! Aeda, forget about Patche. You can put that inside me right now.” 

Trying to ignore Marisa’s attack, Aeda continued kissing Patchouli. He reached down to grope her thighs, letting his fingertips sink into her soft flesh. Marisa began rubbing his cock. She pressed her body against his back, sandwiching Aeda between the two girls.

Aeda pulled Marisa’s hand away and dropped to his knees, making Marisa stumble backwards. He hooked his fingers around Patchouli’s panties. He pulled them down, the waist band digging into her thick thighs. Patchouli was hairier than Marisa. Her thick bush of purple pubic hair was inches from Aeda’s face. He kissed her inner thigh.

“Aeda,” said Patchouli, “let’s go to my room.” He stood up, and Marisa latched onto him from behind again.

“I’m coming too,” said Marisa. Patchouli ignored her and began walking to a nearby door. It opened directly into her bedroom, and the three of them entered.

“What a mess,” said Marisa. She was right—stacks of dusty books, empty tea cups, ink stained pages scattered on the floor. “Don’t you ever clean this place?” she asked. Patchouli didn’t answer. She sat on the edge of her bed, which was even bigger than Aeda’s, and lay back. She spread her legs.

Aeda knelt between Patchouli’s thighs and brought his face to her pussy. He guessed Marisa had been right about Patchouli’s bathing habits, because the smell was stronger than he'd expected. Still, it wasn’t unpleasant. Pushing her thick pubes aside, Aeda extended his tongue and touched it to her pussy.

“Lick it gently, please,” Patchouli called down to him.

Aeda kept his tongue relaxed and slowly ran it over Patchouli’s pussy. He reached down to stroke her thighs. Moving his whole head, Aeda licked her steadily. 

He was dimly aware that Marisa was crawling about on the floor beside him. She squirmed her way under the bed. “Wow, Patche, there’s a lot of junk down here,” said Marisa. Patchouli just ran a hand through Aeda’s hair.

Aeda was still licking Patchouli’s pussy with the same slow pace when he felt Marisa grab his underpants. She pulled them to his knees, letting his hard cock spring free, then dragged them off past his feet. She shuffled forward and flicked her tongue over the tip of his cock, then crept in closer and wrapped her soft lips around him. She bobbed her head back and forth, sucking firmly as she swirled her wet tongue over his cock.

Aeda was determined to ignore Marisa’s distraction. His head remained firmly between Patchouli’s legs. She was starting to get wet. Aeda licked around her clit, not touching it directly. Marisa adjusted her position for a better angle and took his cock deeper into her mouth. Aeda licked a little faster and Patchouli inhaled sharply. She took hold of his hands and squeezed them.

Marisa was really very good at sucking dick. I’m sorry, Patchouli, thought Aeda. It was getting hard for him to concentrate. He kept moving his tongue and lips, but Marisa’s distraction was taking its toll. He’d read about cunnilingus technique online, many years ago, but with his cock feeling like it was going to explode, all he could remember was ‘don’t stop’. He kept licking.

Marisa continued sucking him, moving her mouth faster. Aeda felt his muscles tense. It was almost uncomfortable, but he didn’t want her to stop. Marisa sucked his cock deep into her mouth and curled her tongue around it. The strong sensation, combined with the scent of Patchouli’s pussy, was too much for him. Marisa kept sucking as he came, swallowing without hesitation.

Keep licking, keep licking, thought Aeda. He rhythmically moved his tongue. He had no idea how much time had passed when he heard Marisa’s voice.

“You still not done?” asked Marisa, now kneeling by his side. “Patche, you’re gonna wear him out before it’s my turn.” Right again—his tongue was starting to ache. He let his movements slow.

Patchouli spoke up. “Aeda, I’m really happy, I’m having a great time. But I think we’re being a little cruel to Marisa. You’re doing a good job, I’m just feeling a bit nervous, that’s all. I mean, I don’t think you were even born last time I did anything like this. We can let Marisa have her turn, and we can continue later.”

Aeda lifted his head from Patchouli’s crotch and looked up. She was smiling at him. “Okay,” he said, “but I’ve gotta take a break, or Marisa will be disappointed.”

Marisa hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “I suppose I can wait a little longer,” she said, and brought a hand down to his crotch. “Oh, you’re hard again already? What should we do about that?”

“Aeda, get up here,” said Patchouli, patting the bed. She reached behind her back and unfastened her bra, then threw it on the floor. She lay back on the bed, and Aeda joined her at her side. Marisa got on the bed too, and wrapped her legs around one of Aeda’s. She rubbed her pussy against his thigh.

“Aeda, you can play with my breasts,” said Patchouli. Her nipples were hard. He kissed each in turn, then gently massaged her breasts. “You can fuck them if you like,” said Patchouli.

Aeda knelt over Patchouli’s chest, cock between her large breasts. She squeezed them together around him. He was still slick with Marisa’s saliva, and he slid easily as he thrust. Patchouli stuck her tongue out and leaned forward. Aeda touched the tip of his cock against her tongue. Her saliva mixed with Marisa’s.

Aeda leaned forward, propping himself up on his elbows. Patchouli lay back and jiggled her breasts in synchrony with his thrusting. Aeda could smell her sweat. He was sweating himself. He wasn’t used to exercise. He increased his speed and fucked her breasts with long strokes. The tip of his cock poked out from between them with each thrust. He felt himself on the edge of orgasm.

“Ah, Patchouli…,” Aeda managed to say, before spurting cum over her neck. He dismounted and sat by her side, out of breath. Patchouli sat up, semen dripping down her cleavage. She scooped some up with her fingers.

“You couldn’t do that with Marisa,” said Patchouli. She sucked the cum off her fingers and swallowed, then got up off the bed. “I have some tissues somewhere.”

Aeda started to get up too, but Marisa pounced on him, pushing his shoulders hard against the bed. “You’re not going anywhere,” said Marisa. “It’s my turn.” She lay on top of him, pinning him on his back.

“It’s your turn,” agreed Aeda.

Marisa made her way forward, bringing her pussy closer and closer to Aeda’s face. She stopped directly above him, slim thighs either side of his head. She spread her pussy open. “Look how wet you’ve made me,” said Marisa. She slipped a finger deep inside. As she pulled it out, a string of sticky fluid dripped onto Aeda. She ran her finger over Aeda's face, smearing pussy juices on his skin. “I’m gonna ride you till I cum,” said Marisa. She lowered her pussy to Aeda’s mouth, tickling his nose with her pubes.

Marisa rocked back and forth, grinding on Aeda’s face. She grabbed his head with both hands. “Lick my pussy,” she said. “I dunno how you did it with Patche, but you’re not gonna be gentle with me. Get that tongue on my clit right fucking now. You made me wait too long.”

Aeda stuck his tongue out. He wasn’t so much licking Marisa as letting her fuck his mouth. It was all he could do to keep his teeth out of the way. Unlike Patchouli’s sluggish nature, Marisa was all energy, grinding against him with boundless enthusiasm. Aeda reached up to grab her hips. Feeling more stable, he pushed his tongue hard against her clit.

“Ahhhhh, yes, like that…” Marisa moaned. She dug her fingers into his scalp. “Don’t you stop.” Aeda had no intention of stopping. With Marisa doing most of the work, he didn’t feel tired at all. He worked his tongue as best he could while Marisa moved her hips. His face was slick with her juices.

Aeda licked Marisa’s clit hard. She was breathing heavily, moving her hips in time with his tongue. “Yes, yes, don’t stop,” she gasped. She moaned loudly, squeezing Aeda’s head and grinding her pussy on his mouth. He licked with one last burst of energy and Marisa gasped and shuddered. She pulled away and collapsed on the bed beside him.

Marisa lay still for a while. “Now that was worth the wait. Aeda, you sure you haven’t done this before?” she asked. He didn’t reply. Marisa reached for his hard cock. “Stay right where you are,” she said. “I’m taking your virginity.”

Aeda nodded, and looked up to see Marisa squatting over his crotch. She grabbed his cock and guided it to her pussy. She pressed the tip against her opening and lowered herself, plunging Aeda deep inside. She was tight but so slippery there was little resistance. The sensation made it hard to think. Aeda was happy to just lie there. Marisa paused with Aeda fully penetrating her. She tensed her muscles around Aeda’s cock.

Aeda then became aware of Patchouli on the bed too, kneeling by his head. She lifted a leg over him and turned to face Marisa, her pussy directly over Aeda’s face. “Marisa,” said Patchouli, “I can distract him too.”

“Uh, Patche,” said Marisa, “I don’t think you understand how this works. He’s lying there like a dead fish. You think shoving your pussy in his face will make him do it wrong?”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” said Patchouli. “You can’t ride a soft dick, can you? Aeda, I don’t think you’ll last long with both of us on top of you.”

“Let’s find out,” said Aeda. Patchouli turned around, showing her back to Marisa. She lowered her hairy pussy onto Aeda’s face. The feeling of Marisa bouncing on his cock, and the strong scent of Patchouli’s pussy against his face was unlike anything he’d experienced before. His nose was buried deep in Patchouli’s pubes, and her thick thighs squeezed the sides of his head. Marisa moved up and down, her wet pussy rhythmically sliding over him.

Patchouli had been right. Aeda tried to hold on, to prolong the feeling as long as possible, but he knew it couldn't be much longer. Marisa fucked him with deep, fast thrusts, slipping over him in a flood of juices. Patchouli slowly shifted her hips, rubbing her wet pussy on his open mouth. Aeda’s mind was blank. He felt tension building inside him as Marisa continued her vigorous motion. She squeezed him tight and time seemed to come to a standstill as Aeda ejaculated deep inside her. He pushed Marisa away. He felt exhausted.

Patchouli dismounted him too. She lay at his side and hugged him. Marisa joined him at his other side.

“Aeda,” said Patchouli, “that was a lot of fun. You’ll do that again, won’t you? Seeing as you’re here all the time you can do it every day, or three times a day, or four… And then you’ll get really good at it, and I’ll get more used to it, and it will be even more fun. And you need to fuck my pussy too.”

“Give me a moment,” said Aeda.

“He needs more practice,” said Marisa. “I’m going to visit and help him practice all the time, so you better tell Meiling that I’m allowed here.”

“Should we let her?” asked Patchouli.

“I think so,” said Aeda. “We wouldn’t be doing this at all if it wasn’t for Marisa.”

“Damn right,” said Marisa. “You’d better be grateful. And I’m gonna train him into a real expert. If you don’t share I’ll steal him away forever.”

The three of them lay still a while longer, then got up and returned to the library. Their discarded clothes had been picked up and folded neatly on the table. Next to them was a freshly prepared pot of tea, and a folded piece of paper. Aeda picked it up and opened it. It was a hand-written note:

“I hope you had fun. Next time, how about letting me join you?  
—Koakuma”

Patchouli put down her tea cup and took the note from Aeda. She read it and smiled. “Aeda,” she said, “it looks like you’re going to be very busy.”


	2. Devil's Plaything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Patchouli sleeping in late, Aeda tries to get some work done. Koakuma has other plans.

Aeda strode into the library, humming happily to himself. Yesterday had gone better than he could have imagined. The library was still dark, so he groped for a light switch, then walked along the wall, flicking switches as he went.

He reached the door to Patchouli’s bedroom. There was no sign of activity inside. Aeda hesitated while the lamp above him settled down to a steady white glow. Patchouli had said she’d wanted to do more with him, but then she’d shut herself away with his laptop for the rest of the day. Was she embarrassed? Marisa had flown home looking pleased with herself, not showing the slightest concern over the tattered state of her dress, but Patchouli was harder to read. Maybe that was to be expected of a non-human.

Aeda hadn’t seen Koakuma since then either. He reached into his pocket and touched the note she’d left to remind himself that it was real. He felt his heart race with anticipation. Was he supposed to just straight up ask her for sex? For now, it didn’t matter. He walked on and lit the rest of the lights. Today would be the day he’d get some real work done. By his pride as a librarian, today he would resist distraction.

Aeda checked his pencil sketch map of the library. It was his second attempt—he’d abandoned the first when he’d realized it was going to be much too big. This one was drawn smaller, with the bookshelves marked as single lines, but even so it spilled over multiple pages. He guessed there were only a few hundred more lines to draw. It should be possible to get it done before noon. No matter how interesting it was to examine individual books, the outline map had higher priority.

He counted shelves as he walked, touching the tip of his pencil to the matching lines on the map. Again he felt irritated by his human limitations. The job would be easy for a flying youkai. The shelves weren’t exactly a maze, but they were placed with no regard for easy floor level navigation. Once he’d convinced himself that he knew exactly where he was, Aeda drew a neat line to represent another bookshelf.

Most of the shelves were jam packed with books, but some were partly empty. Aeda used small gaps in the books as though they were crude theodolites. He didn’t have a real surveyor’s telescope, but by peeking through the gaps from different angles he could check he wasn’t distorting the map. He aligned the side of the pencil with his own position on the map and that of the gap in the books, and checked it intersected the same things on paper as he could see in reality. It required some walking to confirm he was looking at the shelf he thought he was, and a pencil was hardly the ideal straight edge, but it beat having to redraw the whole map because the parts wouldn’t line up. He’d have to ask Patchouli or Koakuma for a ruler and protractor.

There must be a book on surveying here somewhere, thought Aeda. If only the library was already mapped, it would be easy to find. And if he had a real theodolite he could measure angles exactly, and then he’d be able to triangulate distances. He turned to a clean page to draw a right triangle, and wrote the trigonometric relations to check he could remember them. At least he wouldn’t need to find a book of trig tables—he could calculate those functions on his phone. He pulled the phone from his pocket to check the battery charge. It was still good. Airplane mode really made a difference. He put it back, annoyed with himself for losing focus again. The map didn’t need to be perfect. He resumed walking and drew another line.

* * * * *

Aeda had been mapping for over an hour when he heard the door open. He stepped out from the shelves and saw Koakuma. She waved to him, and Aeda waved back, but he was paying more attention to her clothes. They were certainly eye-catching. Instead of the usual professional-looking dress, she wore a black miniskirt with black thigh-high socks that left a narrow ring of pale skin exposed on each thigh. The top few buttons of her white shirt were unbuttoned. Had her breasts always been that big? She had to be wearing a push-up bra.

Koakuma flew toward him, toes trailing a few inches off the floor. “Good morning, Aeda,” she said cheerfully. She stopped mid-air and let her momentum rotate her forward a little. “Are you working hard?”

“Yes…,” said Aeda, looking down her cleavage. He could see her bra. He dragged his eyes back up and continued. “I almost have the outline map finished. I’m sure I can get it done this morning. Then I can start the real catalog.”

“That’s good. I’m sure Patchouli will be pleased to hear it. Please continue.” Koakuma turned away from him. Her smooth tail, with its arrowhead-like tip, poked out through a hole in the skirt. The tail swayed from side to side as she flew into the shelving and out of sight. Aeda looked at his map again, but couldn’t find any excuse to follow her. In any case, he didn’t want to give Koakuma the satisfaction. That outfit could only be aimed at him, and he knew he was weak to female charm. The map was so near completion. He really did want to finish it.

Somewhat reluctantly, Aeda returned to the unmapped space and found his position again. Time to get back to work. More lines on the page, more steps counted, more peeking through the gaps in the books. Looking through one, he saw something more interesting than usual. Two rows of shelving over, Koakuma was bending at the waist to pick up a book from the bottom shelf. She moved slowly, stretching her long legs and arching her back. That skirt really was short. Aeda stared at her white panties. Koakuma held the position for far longer than necessary, then stood up straight and slid the book into a higher shelf. She flew out of sight without looking at Aeda, who’d completely lost track of his position.

Aeda shook his head. Focus, focus! What kind of librarian was he? He walked out of the shelves again, then walked back in, counting as he went. There wasn’t much more to map. He could finish it before noon and be proud of his accomplishment. He looked up to see Koakuma sitting on top of the shelf in front of him.

Koakuma jumped down, wings spread to slow her descent. She landed like a cat in front of Aeda, then stood with folded wings. “Patchouli is still sleeping,” said Koakuma. “She’s becoming as nocturnal as Miss Scarlet. That’s twice in a row she’s fallen asleep with the laptop. Don’t you think it’s boring to play with Outside World magic all day?”

“Maybe a little”, said Aeda after some consideration. He couldn’t really criticize Patchouli for doing what he’d do given the chance.

“There are more fun things to play with,” said Koakuma.

“Like what?” asked Aeda.

“For example, library assistants.”

“You?”

“I could certainly be classified that way.” Koakuma spread her wings and took off. She began to fly slowly toward Aeda, a mischievous grin on her face.

“I’m supposed to be working now,” said Aeda.

“The very important task of staring at my breasts?” asked Koakuma.

“I wasn’t—”

“Oh, it’s no use pretending.” She was very close to him now. “You can’t hide from me, Aeda.” Koakuma flicked her wings forward and wrapped them around Aeda’s chest. She pulled him against her body. “Looks like I caught a human.” She brought her face close to his, so the rapidly flapping smaller wings on her head blew Aeda’s hair about. “Now, what shall I do with the human?”

Aeda’s resolve was collapsing by the second. The library map looked more and more like a distant dream. “I really do want to finish the map,” said Aeda, sounding unconvincing even to himself.

“And I really do want to play with the human,” said Koakuma. “It’s a pity it didn’t even try to escape.” She snaked her tail around Aeda’s leg, and reached up to hold his face in both hands.

“I didn’t even know I was supposed to escape,” said Aeda. “You caught me by surprise.”

“How about I let you go and give you a head start?” asked Koakuma.

Aeda wasn’t sure if he was more aroused or afraid. The note in his pocket was real. Koakuma was clearly flirting with him. But somewhere in his memory floated a worrying fragment of knowledge. “Akuma” meant something like “demon”. And Koakuma was undoubtedly supernatural. Those wings couldn’t possibly support a human-sized body using mundane physics. For all he knew she mated like a praying mantis.

“What will you do when you catch me?”

Koakuma stared at him severely. “Rend your body and devour you. Drink your blood, crack your bones and suck out the marrow.” She said it matter-of-factually, like she was reading a shopping list. Aeda tried to pull away in panic but Koakuma’s grip was strong. She broke into a smile. “But on second thoughts, that would make an awful mess of the carpet. It’s a very expensive carpet, and Remilia would get mad. Still, you can at least pretend, can’t you? Run for your life and struggle when you’re cornered. I won’t hurt you, at least not much, and it’s impossible for an ordinary human to seriously hurt me. There’s no need to hold back.”

Aeda waited for his heart to slow down.

“Aeda,” said Koakuma, “I’m bored. I’m bored and horny. I want to hunt a human. Do you really have to work _all_ morning?”

“I don’t think it’s very sporting if you just fly everywhere,” said Aeda. “To make it more interesting, you’re not allowed to fly over any bookshelf.”

“Deal,” said Koakuma. She stuck her tongue out and licked Aeda’s neck.

“Hey! You’ve gotta catch me first!”

“So I do.” Koakuma disentangled herself from Aeda. He set the pencil down on a nearby shelf, and Koakuma crouched on the floor like a sprinter in starting blocks, wings spread wide and a toothy grin on her face. “Well, what are you waiting for? You’d better run.”

Aeda ran. He reached the first intersection, and dodged hard to the right, heading for the parts of the library he knew best. There was a great rush of air as Koakuma charged after him. Aeda had no time to check his map. He dashed for a dense section of shelving, hoping Koakuma might be confused at ground level. But the sound of beating wings followed close behind. His socks couldn’t get a good grip on the thick carpet, and he almost crashed into the shelves as he took a sharp corner.

Aeda’s heart pounded in his chest, and he gasped for air. There was no time to think; the sound of wings remained close. He didn’t dare look back. He accelerated down a long corridor between the shelves, and then dodged down another intersection. He could taste metal in his throat. Intellectually, Aeda knew it was only a game, but on some deep stratum of subconsciousness he was still on the African savanna, a hungry lion hot on his tail.

Aeda skidded to a halt. A dead end. But no—there was a gap in the books on the bottom shelf, just barely big enough. He flung himself to the ground and slid through head-first. He pulled his feet clear before Koakuma could reach him. Aeda glanced back to see Koakuma snarling at him through the gap, her wings too big to fit through. She started moving the books, giving Aeda vital seconds to escape.

Aeda ran without knowing where he was going. He couldn’t sustain his pace much longer. But he could no longer hear the sound of Koakuma’s wings. He stopped and rested with his hands on his thighs. Had he lost her? It seemed hopeless. He was breathing too loudly and Koakuma couldn’t be far behind. He checked the map to try to figure out where he was.

As he read, the light dimmed. Aeda looked up and saw the lamps on the ceiling going out, one at a time. A wave of darkness spread across the library until only a single light was left, above the unmapped section. He could no longer see well enough to read.

He heard Koakuma call out from the darkness. “Hiding, Aeda? I can hide too.” Her voice came again, closer this time. “I see better in the dark than any human.”

Aeda was too tired to run. He walked as silently as he could, keeping to the shadows, and stopping now and then to look through gaps in the books. He saw no sign of Koakuma. Was it better to head for the light or hide in the darkness? He had no victory condition, and no real loss condition either. But Aeda was competitive enough to want to evade Koakuma for as long as possible. He thought he heard movement from the dark end of the library. To the light it was then, and he crept forward with all the stealth he could muster.

He saw a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. Koakuma’s shadow? He froze, and strained to hear, but the only sound was his own breathing. There was enough light to read, but it did no good. He’d reached the edge of his map. Unsure, he turned back to known territory.

A shadow swept across his vision, and a rush of air hit him from behind. Before he could react, Koakuma slammed into Aeda’s shoulders and knocked him off his feet. He expected to hit the ground hard, but Koakuma wrapped her arms around him and took the force of the impact. She grabbed his head roughly and pushed his face into the soft carpet. She pinned him prone with a knee on his back.

“Caught you,” said Koakuma. Her breath was hot on his neck. Aeda tried to buck her off, but she sprawled her legs over him and flapped her wings to force him down. She ran her tongue up the back of his neck, leaving a wet trail of saliva over the bumps of his spine.

Aeda struggled beneath her. He twisted his body, but Koakuma had her hands clamped firmly to his head. She shifted her right hand to lick his ear, and Aeda reached up and grabbed one of Koakuma’s head wings. He yanked hard, and although the angle stopped him from getting any real force behind it, the attack was enough to break Koakuma’s balance. Aeda spun to the side and rolled out from under her.

Koakuma moved with superhuman speed. With a powerful flap of both pairs of wings she escaped Aeda’s grasp, then crashed down on top of him again before he could complete the roll. Aeda was flat on his back, and Koakuma trapped him in place with her legs around his torso. Her hands darted for his wrists, too quick for Aeda to escape. With vise-like grip she pulled his arms above his head and pressed his wrists to the floor. Aeda tried to kick Koakuma, but she bound his legs with her flexible tail, strong as a steel cable. She brought her face close to his.

“Such a delicious looking human.”

Koakuma moved her left arm to trap both Aeda’s wrists at once, grasping one and pinning the other under her forearm. Stretched out as he was, Aeda didn’t have the strength to escape. Koakuma gripped his hair with her other hand and forced his head back to the floor. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue over her gleaming teeth. Slowly, she lowered her mouth to his exposed throat and licked. Her tongue was hot and wet on his skin. Aeda struggled with all his might, but his human strength was no match for the youkai. Koakuma dragged her teeth over his skin, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to leave fine red marks.

Koakuma moved from Aeda’s neck to his lips. She kissed him, and Aeda relaxed to let her thrust her tongue deep inside his mouth. He could feel her tail twitching against his legs. Koakuma released his wrists and hooked her arms under his shoulders. She continued the kiss, and Aeda moved his own tongue against hers. At last, she pulled away. Her long red hair spilled down around his head, its usual neat appearance in disarray. It smelled faintly of citrus. Koakuma gazed into Aeda’s eyes, smiling.

This was his chance. Aeda shot his hands up and grabbed Koakuma by the head wings. He squeezed them, but Koakuma didn’t react. They felt like thick leather, too tough for Aeda to damage. He pulled up hard, and this time Koakuma raised her head to ease the pressure.

“Koakuma,” said Aeda, “you’ve made a terrible mistake. You might not be the kind of youkai who eats humans…” He bared his teeth and ran his tongue over them like Koakuma had before. “But I’m the kind of human who ‘eats’ youkai.”

“Kyaaa!” Koakuma squealed in mock terror and thrashed about on top of him. Aeda kept his grip on her head wings, and took the chance to wrap his own legs around her back. “Do your worst, human,” said Koakuma. She flapped her main wings, lifting Aeda completely off the ground, but he dug his heel into her left wing, and she spun to the side. She crashed down heavily on her back and now Aeda was on top.

“No!” cried Koakuma. “The deadly human teeth! The savage human tongue! It’s going to lick me without mercy!” Taking the cue, Aeda lowered his mouth to her throat and licked slowly. He could feel sweat on his own body, and he tasted it on Koakuma. “The human has me completely helpless. It’s going to lick all my most vulnerable spots!” She squirmed as Aeda licked under her chin. He slid his hands over her chest and felt for the buttons of her shirt. It came undone easily.

Aeda stopped licking for a moment, overcome with curiosity about the bra. There was definitely some padding there. But closer examination was impossible, because Koakuma lifted her back off the floor and reached behind herself to undo the bra. She threw it to the side.

Without their support, Koakuma’s breasts were only modestly sized, but Aeda wasn’t disappointed. He brought his mouth back down and wrapped his lips around a hard nipple. He licked, and then closed his teeth around it experimentally.

“Ah, yes! The human teeth!”

Aeda was a little uncertain, but she’d said he couldn’t seriously hurt her, so he bit with more force. Koakuma moaned appreciatively. He trailed his tongue across her chest and latched on to her other breast. He licked and bit as Koakuma shuffled beneath him and reached for her skirt. She flexed her wings again and pulled the skirt down. Aeda looked over his shoulder in time to see her toss it away with a flick of her tail.

Koakuma was now wearing only socks, shirt, which was still attached at the wing holes, and panties. Aeda worked his was down her body. He licked her sternum, her navel, her lower abdomen, then he raised his head. The flimsy fabric of Koakuma’s panties was soaked through, practically transparent. Aeda hooked his fingers around the waistband and pulled.

The panties slid down over Koakuma’s socks, revealing her red pubic hair. She squeezed her legs together and smirked. Aeda wedged his hands between her knees and pulled. Koakuma gave only token resistance before letting him spread her legs to expose her glistening pussy. Aeda brought his mouth very close. Koakuma’s scent flooded his nostrils, not as strong as Patchouli’s, but it filled him with lust all the same. Dragging the moment out as long as he could stand, he inched his mouth forward until his lips just barely touched her.

“Aaaah! I can’t escape the human! It’s going to eat me!” Koakuma thrust her pussy against Aeda’s mouth. So much for restraint. He licked hard. Koakuma pushed herself off the ground with her wings, and Aeda caught hold of her hips and rested his arms on her thighs to take the strain off his neck.

Koakuma’s wings twitched with each flick of Aeda’s tongue. She squirmed and struggled but he held on tight, arms and neck rigid. He hardly noticed the pain in his scalp when Koakuma grabbed his hair. He licked without pause, letting Koakuma’s juices spread over his face.

Aeda worked his way up Koakuma’s pussy. He dragged his tongue over her swollen clit and felt his upper body jerk upward as she twitched her wings. “My most vulnerable spot—” gasped Koakuma. She splayed her fingers to lock Aeda’s head in place. Aeda continued his attack, licking her clit directly with short fast strokes. He sucked it between his lips and licked hard. 

“Oh fuck yes, that’s it.” Koakuma’s voice rang out through the library. Powerful thighs flexed beneath Aeda’s arms, and strong fingertips dug into his scalp. Aeda licked with full force, holding the squirming youkai tight. Slippery fluids dripped down his chin. Her breathing was fast and heavy. Koakuma threw her legs around Aeda’s chest and flapped her wings hard enough to momentarily lift him off the ground. Her tail thrashed beneath him like an out-of-control fire hose.

Aeda’s kept licking, ignoring the dull ache of his exhausted tongue. Koakuma moaned and flapped her wings with great force. She pushed Aeda’s head away and crashed back on the floor. Aeda sat up. He rubbed his neck carefully. As far as he could tell, he was unhurt. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked down at Koakuma, who was lying there with her arms by her sides and a broad grin on her face. She took a deep breath and lay still for a while.

“Wow,” said Koakuma. “Humans really are dangerous.” She propped herself up on her wings. “And I think this one has something interesting here…” She slid her tail into his lap and poked at his crotch. “Something long and hard…” She found the outline of his erect penis with the tip of her tail. “Aeda, you said you were supposed to be working. Look at me distracting you. It’s unacceptable, isn’t it?” She reached behind herself to unbutton the wing holes of her shirt, and dropped it on the floor.

“I’m as much to blame.”

“You’re just a human. Patchouli will be mad at me if she’s mad at anybody. I should be punished.”

“I don’t think Patchouli will be mad.”

Koakuma rubbed Aeda’s cock through his pants with her tail. “You should take that big ‘spear of youkai extermination’ and stab it inside me.” She slipped a finger in her pussy. “Half-youkai aren’t conceived without magical assistance, so don’t worry about that.”

“That sounds like the kind of fake punishment Marisa would come up with,” said Aeda.

“You’d better spank me then.”

And that has to be fake punishment too, thought Aeda, or you wouldn’t be asking for it. _Real_ punishment would be me getting back to work and leaving you there. But Koakuma pulled her finger out and smeared a trail of moisture over her abdomen. She squeezed a breast with her other hand. “Aaaah, Aeda, spank me, pull my tail. Piece me with that big human cock. I’ve been a bad devil.” Of course, the real punishment was wholly theoretical. Aeda stood up.

Koakuma sprung to her feet at once. She turned around and looked over her shoulder at Aeda. “First you’ve got to catch me.” She flapped her wings and shot down the bookcase corridor into the darkness.

Aeda picked up the map, and found a short path to the open area by the light switches. He jogged along the wall, flipping switches as he went. There was still no sign of life from Patchouli’s room. He reached the far end of the library and looked up to watch the changing rainbow colors. Koakuma was circling near the ceiling.

“Cheater!” called Aeda. Koakuma dived and flared her wings at the last second to avoid crashing. She flew back the way Aeda had come, wearing nothing but her long black socks. Aeda chased after her. 

Koakuma turned into the bookshelves, flying just above Aeda’s head height. He followed close behind her. She reached a corner, and instead of turning she pulled up and landed on the top of the shelf, then flung herself backwards into the air. She twisted to right herself, losing a little altitude in the process. She swooped over Aeda’s head, and he jumped and caught her tail.

Aeda stumbled as Koakuma dragged him forward. She jerked her tail and broke his grip, but it was too late to stop her descent. She crashed face first and skidded across the carpet.

“Aaaah! The human caught me!” Koakuma flapped her wings feebly and waved her tail. Aeda lunged for the tail again and yanked it hard. Koakuma lifted her ass off the floor, kneeling on all fours. She arched her back so Aeda had a clear view of her pussy.

Aeda held the base of Koakuma’s tail as tight as he could with his left hand, and unbuttoned his pants with the other. He kicked the pants and underwear away, then stepped to Koakuma’s side and put his left foot on her back. Koakuma squealed. “The human’s going to punish me!” Aeda trod down on her back and pulled her tail up, forcing Koakuma to lift her knees off the floor.

Aeda raised his right hand and brought it down hard on Koakuma’s round ass. The sound of the impact echoed through the library. He could feel hard muscle under the soft layer of fat.

“Ah, more!”

Aeda spanked Koakuma again, harder this time, and yanked her tail. He slipped his hand between her legs to grope her pussy, and withdrew his fingers dripping wet. He sucked then clean before spanking her again so the fluid wouldn’t fly off onto the books. Aeda landed repeated open-hand blows on Koakuma’s ass. She moaned almost as loudly as the slapping sounds.

“Put it in!” cried Koakuma. “Put that big human cock inside me.”

Aeda released her tail and knelt behind her. He brought the tip of his cock to her opening and thrust forward, plunging deep inside her tight pussy. Koakuma wrapped her tail around his waist and pulled him in. His crotch slapped against her ass as he repeatedly thrust inside her. Koakuma flapped her wings and pushed back against him.

Aeda stretched forward and pulled a handful of Koakuma’s long hair, forcing her head back. He continued thrusting. Koakuma flexed her tail to assist each stroke, but he was still breathing hard. He reached around her with his other hand and started rubbing her clit.

Koakuma rhythmically moved her hips as Aeda fucked her. She kept her back arched tight, and Aeda leaned forward to penetrate deep inside her. He moved with violent urgency, feeling intense pleasure as Koakuma squeezed her pussy around his cock. He knew he couldn’t last much longer, so he stepped up the pace of his rubbing, and released Koakuma’s hair to give the base of her tail another tug. Sweat dripped down his back.

“Harder…” gasped Koakuma.

Aeda slammed his cock into her, on the verge of orgasm. He gave another deep thrust, and pulled hard on Koakuma’s tail as she clenched her pussy around him. Aeda could hold back no longer. He gave one last thrust before ejaculating deep inside her. He maintained enough focus to keep rubbing Koakuma’s clit, and he gave her tail one last tug. Koakuma shuddered and jerked her wings with a mighty flap. Aeda pulled out as she collapsed on the floor. She lay there for a moment, breathing heavily.

Koakuma folded her wings and rolled over on to her back. “Aeda,” she said, “kiss me.”

Aeda climbed on top of Koakuma and kissed her on the mouth. She unbuttoned his shirt and hugged him tight. They continued kissing as their breathing gradually slowed.

Koakuma broke off the kiss. “Patchouli did a great job with the summoning,” she said. “Aeda, you’re a lot of fun.”

“So are you,” said Aeda. He was starting to get hard again. Koakuma noticed and pushed him away.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” asked Koakuma. She stood up, the same mischievous grin on her face as before. “Patchouli will be awake soon. She wouldn’t want her assistant slacking, would she? And besides,” she said, reaching for Aeda’s cock, “she’ll probably be wanting to use this. You’d better go take a shower. I’ll be seeing you.”

Koakuma flapped her wings and took off. Aeda dressed and headed out of the library. He checked his phone. It was still morning. He didn’t feel too concerned about the map, which was looking rather crumpled now. He’d get it done eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aeda/Aya and more Aeda/Patchouli to follow. This fic was originally meant as a one-shot, but I'm changing the chapter count to unspecified and maybe adding more chapters later.


	3. Catch That Tengu!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koakuma convinces Patchouli to join her and Aeda for a picnic in the Great Youkai Forest. Believing they are alone, Aeda and Patchouli have some fun, but a certain crow tengu is watching...

When Aeda returned to the library, Koakuma was waiting outside Patchouli’s bedroom.

“Hey, Aeda! Over here.”

Koakuma had changed back into her work clothes. Patchouli was now definitely awake, because fast paced music and sound effects were coming through the door.

“Right back to the video games,” said Koakuma. “It’s most unfitting for a magician. Aeda, I’ve decided that we should go outside today. Let’s have a picnic. You’ll help persuade Patchouli to join us, won’t you?”

For the last four days, Aeda had been stuck indoors. It sounded like a good idea. “Okay, I’ll talk to her.”

There was a lull in the sound effects, and Koakuma knocked on the door. Patchouli’s voice came muffled from inside. “Come in.” They entered to find her lounging on the bed in her pajamas, the laptop on her thighs. “Aeda,” she said excitedly, “watch this.” The music resumed with a dramatic chord.

Aeda hurried to her side. Patchouli was completely engrossed in the game. An insect-like machine spewed clouds of blue projectiles at her red fighter jet, and she dodged with deft taps of her fingers, keeping her pulsating energy beam focused on the enemy. She had no spare lives remaining, and only a single bomb.

Multi-colored bullets streamed from the enemy’s gun turrets, but Patchouli weaved through the gaps unharmed. The boss switched pattern, firing shotgun blasts of pink energy, and still Patchouli dodged. More than half its health was gone. The pattern switched again, and trails of tightly spaced shots curved and bounced around the screen, herding her into the corner of the screen. She made a last desperate attempt to escape but her ship disintegrated in a flash of energy. Game over.

“Damn,” said Patchouli. “And I still had a bomb remaining. But that beats your high score.” The name entry screen appeared, and she entered three letters: “K N O.”

“Yeah,” said Aeda, “I’ve never even made it to stage five.”

“There’s one thing that puzzles me. How do machines shoot danmaku?”

“Maybe it’s the pilots inside shooting.”

“Then they don’t get a peaceful death at all. Why can’t they issue a challenge and accept the result? So uncivilized.”

Patchouli inserted another virtual coin, but Aeda interrupted before she could press start. “Just a moment. Koakuma wants to talk to you.”

Patchouli looked up. “What is it, Koakuma?”

“It’s cruel keeping a human cooped up indoors all the time.”

“You just want to go outdoors yourself. I’m not stopping you.”

“Going outdoors is good for you. And it’s a lovely day—not a cloud in the sky. Why don’t you join us?” Koakuma climbed onto the bed next to Patchouli. 

“Now?”

“Of course.”

“Sunlight is bad for your hair,” said Patchouli.

“But it’s okay letting it get all greasy like that?”

“Washing your hair too often is also bad for it. It’s fine how it is. Isn’t that right, Aeda?” Patchouli set the laptop aside and looked at Aeda expectantly.

Aeda brushed his hand over Patchouli’s hair, which was tied in her usual ribbons. It wasn’t up to Koakuma’s shampoo commercial standards, but he had no complaints. “Yeah. It’s fine how it is.”

Patchouli hugged him. “I knew you’d agree with me. And you agree that going outside is a bad idea, don’t you?” Aeda remained silent. “Aeda, I’m definitely right. We can have more fun here.”

Aeda almost agreed with Patchouli, but he felt Koakuma jabbing his back with her tail. “I think Koakuma’s suggestion has some merit. Maybe you’ll enjoy it once you’re out there.”

Koakuma spoke up. “I already asked the maids to prepare a packed lunch for us. It would be rude to waste their effort.”

“Fine,” said Patchouli, sounding a little annoyed. “We’ll go outside, but I’m formally protesting. It’s a bad idea and I’m not to blame for it. And you have to carry Aeda for me.”

“We’ll go somewhere out of the sun,” said Koakuma. “Aeda, put your shoes on and meet us by the library doors.”

* * * * *

Koakuma opened the heavy double doors and left the library. Aeda had heeded her warning not to explore, so he was curious about what lay beyond. Koakuma carried a lidded wicker basket, while Aeda and Patchouli were empty-handed. They walked down a short corridor into a grand entrance hall. Paintings of people in old-fashioned dress lined the walls, an ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a broad staircase swept up to the next floor.

“Aeda, I don’t think you should go upstairs,” said Koakuma, “and especially not down to the basement, but it’s okay to walk around here if you want to. Miss Scarlet already knows you’re here, and as Sakuya put it, ‘Patchouli is keeping a pet human.’ So if you run into her just tell her that you’re Patchouli’s pet.”

“I’m a librarian,” said Aeda.

“That’s no good at all,” said Koakuma. “You’d better do some tricks too, just to be convincing.”

“Tricks?”

“You know, fetch, beg, roll over—”

“Koakuma!” exclaimed Patchouli. A glowing ball of light shot from her finger and bounced off Koakuma’s forehead before dissipating harmlessly. “Stop telling Aeda that nonsense. Aeda, just say you’re my assistant. You’re no longer an Outsider, so you’ve nothing to fear.”

Koakuma opened the front door, and Aeda followed her out into the hot midday sun. Patchouli lagged behind, squinting and scowling. They were in a formal French-style garden. A path led through flower beds and low boxwood hedges to a central plaza with a fountain. Aeda could see a brick wall in the distance, and a large wrought iron gate. They followed the path to the gate, which Koakuma opened to let them out of the mansion grounds.

“Hi!” A cheerful voice came from nearby. Aeda turned to see a woman with long red hair step out from a wooden hut, wearing a green Chinese-style dress and a green hat. She waved at them as she approached. The dress was slit up to the hip, and Aeda caught a glimpse of a long, muscular leg as she walked. “Patchouli!” she called out.

“Meiling,” said Patchouli, without much enthusiasm.

“And you must be Aeda,” said Meiling. She shook his hand firmly.

“That’s right,” said Aeda. “You’re the gatekeeper here? I hope Marisa didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“It’s all in the past. Are you going somewhere interesting?”

“Somewhere in the shade,” said Koakuma, “or Patchouli will never stop complaining. The Great Youkai Forest, I think.”

“Troublesome youkai live there,” warned Meiling. “Don’t go too deep into the forest, or you’ll run into misfortune.”

“It’s safe enough,” said Koakuma.

“Have a good time then, and be back by sundown. I’ll be waiting to let you back in, so please don’t fly over the wall. And Aeda, come and talk to me any time!”

“Let’s get moving,” said Patchouli.

“Aeda, raise your arms,” said Koakuma. He did so, and Koakuma put down the basket to grab his chest from behind. Aeda felt her wings flap, and her legs wrapped around him too. They took off with a jolt and accelerated skyward. Meiling waved up at them.

Marisa’s stunt yesterday had been exciting, but this was a whole different level. The ground shrunk away, and only Koakuma’s limbs held him from certain death. Aeda had to close his eyes for a moment. He reminded himself that Koakuma was more than strong enough, took a deep breath, and opened them again. Koakuma wasn’t flying as fast as Marisa had, but she was a lot higher up. You didn’t really appreciate what it meant to fly until you’d tried it outdoors.

Koakuma settled into steady flight a few hundred feet up, and Aeda risked looking around. The mansion and its grounds were receding into the distance, as was a forest, which was evidently not the right one. Instead, they were heading out across a lake. Despite the hot weather, he could see clouds of white mist floating motionless over the surface.

Koakuma rested her chin on Aeda’s shoulder, so he could hear her voice over the wind whistling past his ears. “The Misty Lake. It’s full of interesting things. Let’s take a look.” Aeda felt weightless for a moment as Koakuma dropped like a stone, but she slowed her descent with time to spare, and leveled out a few feet above the water.

The lake was smooth as glass, and there was no mist here, farther from the shore. Aeda gazed down into the depths. It was deep, but clear enough that he could make out the rocks on the bottom. A dark shadow moved beneath the surface.

“I always find it’s best to fish with live bait,” said Koakuma. She flew so low that Aeda had to pull his feet up to keep them dry. He strained to see what was down there. There it was—a fish, a big one. “I don’t think it’s noticed us yet. I wonder if it likes human.”

It was at that moment that Aeda realized he’d misjudged the depth of the lake. The fish was near the bottom, and it wasn’t merely big; it would make a whale shark look small. Koakuma dipped the tip of her tail in the water, and a broad wake spread over the glassy surface.

The fish began to surface. At first, it looked slow, almost lazy, but it grew closer with inexorable certainty. A catfish—it was close enough for Aeda to see the whiskers. It flexed its powerful tail, opened its mouth, and lunged. Koakuma jerked him upward as the fish breached the surface. It snapped its jaws terrifyingly close, then splashed back down, the water missing them by inches. Aeda’s heart was pounding, but Koakuma just laughed. “We’ll let it get away. Catfish always has a muddy flavor.”

Koakuma climbed to her previous altitude, and Aeda saw a mountain ahead of them. Its foot was covered by forest, which continued about half-way up before giving way to bare rock. “The Great Youkai Mountain,” said Koakuma. “The tengu won’t be happy if we land up there, but the forest at the bottom is a good place for a picnic.”

Koakuma flew in under the broad-leaved trees, with Patchouli close behind. She weaved between the trees until she found a place to land, then set Aeda down on the mossy ground. Patchouli landed and put the basket beside him. This far into the forest no direct sunlight reached the ground; only a soft green light filtered through the trees. Aeda could hear insects buzzing and birds chirping in the distance.

“I suppose it’s dark enough here,” said Patchouli. “This will do.”

Koakuma took a waterproof sheet from the basket and unfolded it onto the ground. She unpacked a cast iron kettle, porcelain tea pot, tea caddy, cups, spoons, and saucers. “Would you care to prepare the tea, Patchouli?”

Patchouli held out her hand and concentrated. A drop of water appeared hovering above her palm, which swelled into a sphere a little larger than a baseball. She turned to Aeda. “Creating water is one of the easiest forms of elemental magic. I can create whole lakes if I want to.” A tendril of water arced through the air into the kettle, and the sphere shrank to nothing as the water was transferred inside.

“It’s safe to drink?” asked Aeda. It was magic, he knew that, but he’d spent most his life in a place where this sort of thing couldn’t happen. What about conservation of mass? Did it really just appear out of nowhere?

“It’s safe. You’ve already drank it. I’m in charge of the water supply for the whole Scarlet Devil Mansion. I even add the perfect level of minerals for making the best tasting tea.”

While Patchouli had been filling the kettle, Koakuma had been searching their surroundings. She returned with three sticks—two forked, and one straight. She pushed the forked sticks upright into the ground, then took the kettle from Patchouli and threaded the straight stick through the handle. She balanced it on top of the other two. The kettle hung in the air with plenty of space below it.

“And now for the fire,” said Patchouli. A ball of bright flame appeared in her hand, then flew out to hover beneath the kettle. “Fire is even easier than the water.” She opened the tea caddy and sniffed. “Hmm… Earl Grey. Western-style black teas need a full boil.”

“What kind of tea do you like best?” asked Aeda.

“I like all kinds, but I think I prefer Western types. And I like Western teas with lemon, so bergamot is a nice change. It’s like a mix of orange and lemon. It’s not easy to get in Gensokyo. How about you?”

“I really can’t decide,” said Aeda. “All the tea you serve is excellent.”

“Of course it is. And I hope the maids prepared some good food too.” She took out a red lacquer box, decorated with gold leaf, and opened it. “Just rice balls? Nothing sweet?”

“There are a few sugar cubes for the tea,” said Koakuma. “You don’t need any more sweet foods. You’ll get fat.”

“It’s fine. I flew all the way here, and the basket was heavy. That’s exercise.”

They were interrupted by steam billowing from the kettle. “Water’s ready,” said Koakuma. Patchouli swirled some boiling water in the teapot to preheat it, then poured it out. She added three scoops of tea, three cups worth of water, and set the kettle back on the sticks while they waited for the tea to brew.

“What’s in the rice balls?” asked Patchouli.

“Pickled plum, salmon roe, roast pork,” said Koakuma.

“I’m having roast pork,” said Patchouli. She sat watching the tea pot intently, and before long she judged it ready and poured three cups of tea. She picked up her own cup and examined it. “There’s a piece of stem floating on its end. Lucky!”

“Isn’t that a Japanese superstition?” asked Koakuma. She checked her cup, which, like Aeda’s, contained no stray leaves or stems. “What does it mean with Western tea? Maybe the luck is reversed.”

“I prefer to think it works the same with any tea,” said Patchouli. She dropped in two cubes of sugar and stirred. Koakuma added only one, and Aeda, not wanting to look unmanly, added none. They shared out the rice balls, which were wrapped in crisp toasted seaweed, and sipped their tea.

“Perhaps it’s mixed luck,” said Koakuma. “After all, we have a mix of Japanese food and Western tea.”

* * * * *

By the time Patchouli had cast another ball of fire for a second brew, a stiff breeze had started to blow. Still, it was warm enough here, and the magical fire was unaffected by the wind. Elemental magic really was convenient. Aeda sat and watched fallen leaves dance in the wind as he drank his tea, and finished his pickled plum rice ball. The insects continued to hum, and a crow cawed nearby.

Patchouli checked inside the basket again. “There really are no sweets.” She sighed. “Aeda, you don’t think I’m too fat, do you?”

Aeda set down his empty cup and looked at Patchouli. Wasn’t that the classic dangerous question? He was no expert in the female mind. Could it really demand a straightforward answer? But Marisa wouldn’t worry about things like that, and he’d praised Marisa’s confidence not long ago. He’d go with the straightforward answer. “You’re not too fat at all. You’ve got a really nice body.”

“Ah! I’m happy to hear you say that,” said Patchouli, blushing. “Aeda… I don’t mind if you touch it.”

Aeda shuffled to Patchouli’s side, and put a hand on her thigh. He squeezed, sinking his fingertips into the soft flesh under her pajamas. Patchouli stretched her legs out in front of herself, and Aeda moved his hand up closer to her crotch, then out to rub her hip. Patchouli put an arm around him. “I like it when you touch me,” she said.

Aeda moved his hand up to her belly and flexed his fingers. Patchouli flinched away. “You okay?” asked Aeda.

“Yes. It just tickled a bit. But it doesn’t now, so you don’t have to stop.”

Aeda continued groping. He slowly moved his hand up to cup one of Patchouli’s breasts, soft and heavy in his hand. He could feel the outline of her bra. Patchouli lowered herself onto her back, and Aeda turned to grab a breast with each hand.

“Ahem,” said Koakuma, “I’m still here, you know. I’d tell you to get a room, but seeing as I got you out of it earlier, I’ll leave you be. I won’t watch if you don’t want me to. And besides, Patchouli, I already had some fun with Aeda while you were sleeping.”

“Hmph. I’m not sharing him then. But you can watch if you like—I don’t mind if it’s you, Koakuma. Aeda, let’s kiss.”

“Aeda, wait,” said Koakuma, “at least let me borrow your phone first. I want to try Outside World Magic too. You two have your fun while I amuse myself with a human artifact.” Aeda pulled out the phone, unlocked it, and held it up for Koakuma. He wasn’t paying her much attention. Patchouli had just put a hand on his back and was pulling him closer. Koakuma took the phone. “How does it work?”

“It’s simple enough. Just touch the screen and see what happens. I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure it out.” He wasn’t about to stop and teach Koakuma now. Patchouli wasn’t very strong, but she pulled insistently, and Aeda didn’t resist. He swung a leg over her and climbed on top, face to face, supporting himself on elbows and knees so as not to put too much weigh on her soft body. She closed her eyes as Aeda kissed her.

Aeda gently probed Patchouli’s mouth with his tongue. She responded with her own, softly licking his tongue and lips. Aeda re-balanced himself and moved a hand down to rub Patchouli’s leg as they kissed. He slipped his fingers under her thigh, and worked his way up to squeeze her plump behind. She pulled her knees up around him as he sunk his fingers into yielding flesh.

Aeda reached for Patchouli’s inner thigh, but her pajamas were in the way, stretched out under him. He stopped kissing and pulled at them. Patchouli moved her legs to help him, and Aeda got the pajamas up around her waist. She was wearing pink panties. Aeda stopped to look—a few purple hairs were poking out from under them—but Patchouli caught his attention. “Aeda, kiss me more.” He climbed back on top and kissed.

As their tongues intertwined, Aeda put a hand on Patchouli’s bare leg. He rubbed her smooth skin, gently stroking her inner thigh. She felt so soft and warm, with any fat only accentuating her feminine figure. Aeda kept kissing as he moved closer to her panties. Slowly, he slipped his fingers under the fabric and stroked her pubic hair. Patchouli was kissing vigorously now, sucking his tongue and lips with hungry intensity, but she reached down to grab Aeda’s hand, and held it still. Aeda raised his head.

“Aeda,” said Patchouli quietly, with eyes still closed. “There’s something I want to ask you. I’m a bit embarrassed… But I _really_ liked it when you gave me oral yesterday. I was all excited because of the fight with Marisa, but it wasn’t just that. Even though I felt a bit uneasy, I don’t regret any of it. And I can’t stop thinking about what you did, and I want more, but, you see, Koakuma rushed us away so suddenly, and… I still haven’t bathed. I want you to lick me so bad, but I’m worried that I smell bad and you won’t like it. But, you saw I can control water, and we could stop for a while, and I could wash myself…”

“You don’t smell bad at all. In fact, I like the way you smell.”

“Really? I thought maybe… But perhaps you’re just being nice, and—”

“Really.”

Patchouli opened her eyes and smiled. “Aeda, I’m so happy.” He removed Patchouli’s panties, and glanced back at Koakuma, who was absorbed with the phone. Patchouli spread her legs, and Aeda lowered himself between them. How long had it been since she’d last washed? It didn’t matter. Her scent was overwhelmingly arousing. Aeda brushed aside her thick bush and eagerly began to lick.

“Gently, okay?” Patchouli called down to him. There was no need to rush. Aeda explored every part of her pussy lips with his tongue. He licked with unhurried pace and light pressure, going near her clit but never directly touching it. It felt good to take it slow, and it was less tiring. He could take his time and enjoy the experience. After all, it had been barely a day since he’d first gone down on anybody, and his endurance was still lacking.

Patchouli took hold of his hands. “Aeda, that’s good.” He continued his leisurely tongue movement as the wind whistled through the trees. He was still fully dressed, so the breeze didn’t feel cold, and if Patchouli was bothered by it she wasn’t saying anything. She lay quietly, giving his hands a light squeeze every so often.

Aeda kept up his steady oral stimulation. He worked his tongue and lips, licking and sucking. How long had it been? A long time for sure. He’d lost track of time. Patchouli’s scent filled his nose, and her pubic hair brushed against his face. Aeda ate her out like there was nobody else in the whole world.

Patchouli breathed deeply and shifted her hips. “Aeda, that’s so good.” She was really wet now, and Aeda’s tongue slipped easily over her pussy. Her juices mingled freely with his saliva. He swallowed. Aeda tried to feel Patchouli’s reaction to each stroke of his tongue, to anticipate what would feel best for her. Marisa or Koakuma might like it fast, but with Patchouli he held back. There was no need to hurry.

Then there was a bright flash of light, and the unmistakable click of a camera shutter.

“Hey!” Patchouli yelled. She pushed Aeda away and covered herself. “You over there, get back here! It’s that damned reporter. Aeda, get up!” Aeda looked up, feeling disorientated for a second. “Come on, Aeda, Koakuma! Put the phone down and catch her!” Aeda and Koakuma stood and peered through the trees. There was a flash of movement. Wings? “Come on, hurry up! Get the camera! Do whatever it takes!”

Koakuma turned to Aeda. “Follow me.” She took to the air and darted deeper into the forest. Aeda chased after her.

Aeda had his shoes on, but the forest floor was no easier a surface than the library carpet. Exposed tree roots threatened to trip him, and low branches whipped past his face. He searched for a path through the undergrowth and slippery mud. Koakuma was having just as much trouble. The trees were dense, and there was little room to fly. Aeda could only hope the mysterious photographer was having trouble too.

Aeda ducked low beneath a snarl of twigs and vines. He heard a crash above him, and Koakuma spun out of control. She bounced through the branches and came to a stop suspended upside down by the tail. The more she struggled to free herself the more entangled she became. Her wings wedged fast between two branches.

“Aeda! Don’t wait for me! Get her!”

Aeda looked at Koakuma, and then at the forest. Koakuma might be embarrassed to be stuck, but she wasn’t hurt, and maybe he could still help Patchouli. But where was the photographer? Charging ahead blindly wouldn’t help.

Aeda’s hesitation was answered by a burst of motion. A woman in a white shirt looped back toward Koakuma on long dark wings. She held a camera to her face, and there was another flash. She shot off into the trees, black skirt and red shoes trailing behind her.

It was all up to him now. Heart pounding, lungs heaving, Aeda gave chase. It seemed almost hopeless—the woman was getting away, and the sparser trees here favored fliers. He could barely see her now, only a distant flicker of motion, but he couldn’t give up. Aeda gave a final burst of effort, and his feet slipped out from under him.

Time seemed to slow down. He was airborne and descending fast. Aeda raised his arms just in time to protect his face, and crashed skidding over the muddy ground. It didn’t hurt much, but he could feel the cold mud seeping through his clothes. Why hadn’t he listened to Meiling? This was undoubtedly misfortune.

A pair of odd-looking red shoes appeared in front of his face. Each had a small plank protruding from the sole, like a short pair of stilts that settled implausibly on the surface of the mud without sinking. Aeda looked up, and a flash of light dazzled him.

Aeda staggered to his feet. His shirt was a mess, but his pants didn’t seem to be in such bad shape, and his hands and face were clean. The brighter sunlight in this part of the forest had prepared his eyes for the flash, so he wasn’t completely blinded, but it was still hard to see. The woman appeared to be sitting on a tree branch at about shoulder height with her legs crossed. “Hello,” said Aeda. “Who are you?”

“Aya Shameimaru, Bunbunmaru News.”

Aeda blinked. He could see enough to know that he was outclassed. This was another magical creature, and there was no way he could force her to do anything. All he could do was ask and hope. “I believe you took a photograph of Patchouli. I don’t mind the one you took of me just now, and I don’t think Koakuma will care about the one of her, but Patchouli is upset, and Patchouli’s my friend, so I’m asking politely for you to please delete it.”

Aya shifted her legs. “Delete it? What kind of camera do you think this is? I can’t delete analog film. Half the things I shoot don’t show up on digital.”

“In that case, please give me the film.”

“I can’t do that. If I take the film out then _all_ the photos will be destroyed. That’s an attack on freedom of the press.”

Maybe he could stall her, keep her talking long enough for the others to show up. “I’m not asking for that. How does the analog camera work then? How would you destroy a single photo?”

“You’d have to cut it out of the film in a darkroom. Or develop the film first and then cut it, which would be better because then you’d see what you were cutting.”

“Can you do that? I’m not demanding that you do, I just want to know if it’s possible.”

“It would be easy. I’ve got my own darkroom back at the office.”

“Would it take long?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m Aya Shameimaru, and I’m the fastest in Gensokyo.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“I can prove it. And this film is Tengu Special Orthochromatic, which is the fastest film process available. I could have it developed and printed in less than two minutes.”

Yeah, and then I’ll never see you again, thought Aeda. But he had an idea. “You’re a reporter, right? If you prove that you can develop the film in less than ten minutes, then I’ll let you interview me. A human summoned from the Outside World has to be news.”

“It’s a deal,” said Aya. “Cover your ears.” Aeda did so. There was a crack like a rifle shot and Aya was gone.

Aeda felt rather stupid standing covered in mud. He had no confidence that Aya would return. Perhaps he could track his footsteps back to find Koakuma and Patchouli, but he had no confidence in his tracking skills either. Maybe they’d pass each other, and he’d end up even more lost than he already was. Aeda remembered the fish in the lake, and wondered what dangers might lurk in the forest. Wolves? Giant wolves? It was probably safest to stay put. He took off his shirt, trying to avoid the mud, and spread it over a tree branch. At least his skin was mostly clean. The wind had stopped completely.

He’d said ten minutes, so Aeda felt for his phone, and then remembered he’d lent it to Koakuma. And she’d dropped it, so as far as he knew Patchouli had it now. He could still smell Patchouli’s pussy, and now that the excitement of the chase was over it was seriously distracting him. And Aya had been good-looking too, with smooth skin, and long shapely legs…

A minute or two later, Aya plummeted through an opening in the tree canopy and landed beside him. She left no footprints as she leaped back up onto the tree branch. “Two minutes, 31 seconds,” said Aya, looking at a pocket watch. In the other hand she held a dark piece of film, a little over an inch square, and a bigger piece of paper—a photo. She put the watch away and held the photo down for him to see.

The photo was black and white, but there was no denying what it showed. His own face was hidden, but Patchouli’s was clearly visible, and he was very obviously licking her pussy. Aya showed him the film too, which was a negative image but otherwise identical. She looked at the photo herself, and uncrossed and crossed her legs. Was that a flash of her panties? They were right in front of him, so he couldn’t really avoid looking. Focus, he though, focus. The goal was simply to stall Aya until the others showed up.

Aya put the film in her pocket, and pulled out a notebook. There was a paperclip on one of the pages, and she clipped the photo to it. She took out a fountain pen and unscrewed the cap.

“So, ‘Sylvan Sex Scandal’, perhaps? What’s your name?” Her eyes lingered on his bare chest.

Aeda guessed it was probably common knowledge already. “It’s Aeda.”

“And you’re the human that Miss Knowledge summoned from the Outside World?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re living in the Scarlet Devil Mansion with her?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me, what _exactly_ are you doing to her in this photo?” Aeda looked up at Aya. Was she blushing, or was it just the remaining afterimage of the flash?

“Oral sex.”

“Which involved exactly what?”

Don’t play dumb, thought Aeda. “Licking her pussy. Licking over and over again, to make her feel really good. She’d probably have had a great orgasm if you hadn’t interrupted.”

“Probably? I watched you lick her for 22 minutes, 40 seconds, and all she did was make some weird faces. Have you considered the possibility that you’re not very good at it?”

“That’s not true! The others liked it.” He’d caught himself just in time before naming names.

“Aha!” Aya grinned. “So there _are_ others. Now that’s a real juicy scoop! Who else?”

“I can’t tell you that!”

“Then maybe you’re just making it up. Truth in journalism is of the highest importance. How am I supposed to believe you give good oral if you can’t prove it?”

Aeda sniffed. Could he really make that offer? It had hardly been an ordinary interview. If Aya published it, then she’d be the one who’d look bad. And what had she been doing for those 22 minutes? If she accepted, it might keep her here until the others showed up, and Patchouli had said “whatever it takes.” But it wouldn’t do to reward Aya for bad behavior. He had another idea.

“I think I’m better at oral than you, so I’m issuing a challenge. If I can make you orgasm faster than you can me, then you hand over the film and the photo. And if you win, then I’ll relinquish any claim over that photo.” And by then Patchouli will be here, and she hasn’t relinquished anything, so it’s a win-win scenario.

“Deal! You first.”

“Sure.”

Aya checked the pocket watch. “Time starts… Now.” 

That’s not exactly fair, thought Aeda. You’re still fully dressed. Win-win scenario or not, his competitive spirit was strong. He’d been champion of the chess club in school, and his desire to win was as strong as ever. He fully intended to win this.

“Take your panties off, please.”

Aya uncrossed her legs, and pulled her feet up to the tree branch. Her white panties were practically level with Aeda’s head. Slowly, slow enough that Aeda thought it deliberate cheating, she pulled them down. She had long dark pubic hair, straighter than Patchouli’s, and she was visibly wet. She maneuvered her panties past her shoes onto the branch by her side, then leaned back, holding onto the branch with her legs spread.

“Would you move a little up the branch, please?” asked Aeda over the sound of the wind, which was blowing vigorously again.

Aya pushed herself higher, bringing herself exactly in line with Aeda’s mouth. Her position didn’t look particularly stable, but Aeda had lost enough time already. Aya was a magical being and she could take care of herself. He stepped between her legs and put his head up her skirt.

Aya’s scent couldn’t match Patchouli’s, but Aeda still felt a rush of excitement. The slippery glide of his tongue told him that Aya was as turned on as he was. He knew the challenge was as much a gamble as a test of skill—all girls were different, and he didn’t know how sensitive Aya was. But the fluid spreading over his chin gave him hope that he could win. He just had to take care not to overdo it, not to ruin the mood with too much stimulation too soon. Pace yourself, thought Aeda. Pay attention to her reactions, and trust in your ability to survive her counterattack.

Aya shifted position, and Aeda moved his head to match. It felt strange licking pussy while standing upright. He stretched his arms behind the branch and found the bare skin of Aya’s back beneath her shirt. He licked faster, swirling his tongue over her wet pussy. The wind whistled through the trees.

Aeda continued to work his tongue and lips as he stroked Aya’s back. He moved his hands farther up and felt something that surprised him for a moment. Of course—she had wings. He could feel the rough skin where they emerged from the middle of her back. He rubbed it with his fingertips.

“Aaah… Yes,” sighed Aya, her voice almost drowned out by the wind. Aeda stepped up the intensity of his licking, and massaged the base of her wings. Aya leaned back more, and he craned his neck to lick uninterrupted. Her wings twitched and fluttered as he rubbed them. He licked her clit steadily, gently sucking and squeezing with his lips. Aya put a hand on his head and the wind howled.

Aeda licked with mounting intensity. His tongue was tired, but there was no slacking now. The taste of Aya’s juices flooding his mouth was the taste of victory. He flicked his tongue repeatedly over her clit, and she clamped her thighs around his head. They covered his ears as a blast of wind tore branches from the trees and almost knocked him off his feet. Aeda gave Aya’s swollen clit one final lick, and she tumbled backward off the tree. She fell in a flurry of feathers and flailing limbs, and crashed to the ground at Aeda’s feet.

“Are you all right?” asked Aeda.

Aya stood and brushed a twig off her skirt. Her face was flushed, and she avoided eye contact. “Ayayayaya. As the saying goes, ‘even monkeys fall from trees.’ But I’m a crow tengu, so we’ll call it a controlled dismount. Naturally, I’m unharmed.” She pulled out the pocket watch. “Six minutes, 22 seconds. You’re better than I expected. Now, your turn.”

“Can I sit down?”

“Yes. There’s a fallen branch right there.” The wood looked old and rotten; maybe it had fallen in that last gust of wind. It supported his weight just fine. Aeda unbuttoned his pants and got out his erect penis.

Aya checked the watch. “Starting… Now.” She squatted on the ground in front of him and wrapped her lips around his cock. Her warm, wet tongue flicked over the head of his penis. It was hopeless—Aeda knew he couldn’t possibly last six minutes. Even a single minute was doubtful. He looked down at Aya’s bobbing head, at her long pointed ears, at her red hat with the fluffy white tassels. He’d thought Marisa was good at giving head. Aya was better. He silently recited digits of pi to himself in a desperate attempt to avoid filling Aya’s mouth with cum.

Patchouli’s voice came loud and angry through the trees. “Hey! Stop that at once!”

Aya froze. She stood up, leaving Aeda sitting with saliva and pre-cum dripping down his cock. Patchouli was standing next to Koakuma, who was holding the phone. “We only got 20 seconds!” said Koakuma. “You should have waited some more.”

“I’m not waiting any longer. Aya, hand over that film!”

Aya looked around, swishing her wings. “You know, Aeda, I think I’ve already won even if I lose. I concede.”

“You’ve lost!” Patchouli yelled. She took the phone from Koakuma, and held it up as a video clip of Aya sucking Aeda’s cock played.

“Impressive.” said Aya. “That tiny thing shoots moving pictures. Outside World magic is getting good.”

“I’m not deleting it unless you give me the film,” said Patchouli.

Aeda interjected, “Wait, Aya, you said you conceded. Patchouli, Koakuma, you heard her right? So you’re just going to leave me like this?”

“Yeah, like I said, I lost the challenge but I won all the same.” She stuck her tongue out at Aeda.

“Then you owe _me_ the film and the print.” He zipped up his pants.

“A deal’s a deal.” Aya handed them over to Aeda.

Aeda held the film up to the light. “Patchouli,” he said, “I don’t think we need to leave on bad terms with Aya. She did start this, but I’ve got the photo, and now you have the advantage with the video. You can hold onto it if you like, as a kind of insurance, but I’m in the video too, and it’s my phone. So, I’m requesting that you keep it to yourself, or at least don’t share it beyond the four of us here. If you agree to that, then I’ll give you the film and the print.”

Patchouli frowned. “I suppose that’s acceptable. I agree.” She took them.

“Then we’ve reached an amicable conclusion,” said Aya.

“No we haven’t!” whined Patchouli. “Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have somebody give you oral and then suddenly stop?!” Aeda and Aya both laughed, and Patchouli looked at Aeda. “Oh…”

“Patchouli,” said Aeda, “how about we go home and I finish what I started?”

“You’re finally talking sense. I knew going outdoors was a terrible idea. Koakuma, please retrieve the basket. I’m flying Aeda home.”

“At least you’ll get some good exercise,” said Koakuma, smiling.

Patchouli wrapped her arms around Aeda’s chest. Her hands rested on his bare skin, and she hooked her legs around him as she started to hover. They lifted off, and Aeda looked down to see Aya yelling at him. “Aeda, don’t forget to read the paper!” They ascended past the tree tops and began their flight home.

* * * * *

The flight back had been uneventful. Patchouli hadn’t said a word since they’d left the forest, and now the Scarlet Devil Mansion was in sight. Aeda could see Meiling’s hut near the gate. She stepped outside as they approached and waved at them. Patchouli swooped lower, and yelled, “Sorry Meiling!” They soared over the wall into the mansion grounds.

“Hey!” Meiling made her waving hand into a fist, but they were already well on their way to the library.

“We’re going in by Marisa’s front door,” said Patchouli. She hovered outside the library window, and Aeda felt a strange tingling sensation as the wooden shutter seemed to twist and shimmer. It popped open. “Open the window, please.” Aeda did so, and Patchouli flew him straight to her bedroom door, not bothering to close the window. She set him down on the floor. “You can apologize for convincing me to go outside with oral.”

“I’m not apologizing for anything. But Patchouli, I’d love to lick your pussy anyway.”

“Get in my room,” said Patchouli, her voice strained.

Aeda opened the door, and Patchouli pushed him inside. She closed the door, and took off her shoes, pajamas, and panties in a hurry. She lay back on the bed wearing only socks, bra, and hat. Her spread legs dangled over the side, feet on the floor.

“Lick my pussy _right now_.”

Aeda knelt between Patchouli’s thick thighs. The smell made his cock swell in his pants. He parted her pubes and began to lick. This time there would be no distraction from Marisa, no interruption from Aya. His only goal was Patchouli’s enjoyment. Aeda put his hands on her soft belly, and she intertwined her fingers with his once again.

Patchouli was already wet. Aeda licked softly and slowly, giving her the gentle stimulation she preferred. There was nobody timing him, no competition. At this leisurely pace he thought he could last for hours. He ran his tongue over her pussy and lost track of time.

Patchouli didn’t say anything, but she sometimes made little noises, wordless gasps of pleasure, and she squeezed his hands. Aeda tried to read her responses to his movement, to figure out what she liked best. He held his tongue soft and relaxed as he ran it over the skin covering her clit.

“Mmmm… Aeda, like that, keep doing that…”

Aeda moved his tongue rhythmically, back and forth, with no thought of slowing down.

“Ah… Yes…” She squeezed his hands tight. “Faster…”

Aeda didn’t know how long he’d been licking, and he didn’t care. His tongue would keep moving just as Patchouli wanted it. He wanted this almost as much as she did, and he wasn’t going to let tiredness ruin the moment. He licked with utmost focus.

Patchouli moaned softly, and fluids gushed over Aeda’s face. It couldn’t be long now. He licked without holding back. Patchouli gripped his hands with surprising strength. Her thighs shuddered and she gave a strangled gasp. Aeda let his pace slow, and he gently licked her twitching pussy until Patchouli released his hands and touched his forehead.

“Aeda,” she gasped, “Aeda, I’m happy.” Aeda stood up. Patchouli was lying with a smile on her face. He watched her chest rise and fall as her breathing gradually slowed. “Aeda, take your clothes off, please.” They both fully undressed, and Patchouli got completely onto the bed. “Come here.” She raised her arms.

Aeda climbed on top of her like before, but this time there was nothing between them. Skin touched skin, and his hard cock pressed against her pubic hair. Her large breasts squashed flat against his chest. Patchouli hugged him tight, and Aeda listened to her breathing, and enjoyed the feeling of her warm body against his.

“Aeda, I have something to say. I really had done sex things before, but, I never had a guy actually put it in. I mean vaginal sex. But Aeda, if it’s with you, then I want to try it. Please put your penis inside me. Just do it slowly, okay? I’m a youkai, so it won’t actually hurt me, but it’s kind of scary all the same.”

“Of course. We’ll do it at your pace.” Aeda got up off Patchouli, and she spread her legs. He took his cock in his hand and touched the tip to Patchouli’s wet opening. “How’s that?”

“Push a little bit.”

Aeda shifted his weight, and keeping his hand in position to guide it, he pressed his cock forward. The tip forced her pussy lips apart and slid in about half an inch.

“Ah, stop!” gasped Patchouli. Aeda froze rigid.

“You want me to take it out?”

“No.” She took a deep breath. “It just felt a bit weird. Put it in some more.”

Aeda increased the pressure. She was incredibly tight—if she wasn’t so wet it probably wouldn’t go it at all. He pushed hard, and the whole head of his penis went inside her. Patchouli clenched her jaw. “You okay?” asked Aeda.

“Yes. Put it in more.”

He thrust forward, slowly pushing his way into her tight pussy. She was so warm and wet, but Aeda moved with great care, penetrating her little by little. “Still okay?”

“It’s so big… But Aeda, I want it all the way in.”

Aeda pressed on, removing his hand and leaning forward as the entire length of his penis slipped inside Patchouli. It felt almost unbelievably good.

“You can move it if you like.”

Aeda began to pump his cock in and out, still taking great care not to hurt Patchouli. The sensation of her tight pussy rubbing over him was so intense he could barely think. “Patchouli, I’m not going to last long. You feel too good.”

“It’s okay, Aeda, you already made me feel really good. Please cum inside me as soon as you like.”

He continued thrusting. Really, there was no use holding back. Everything about Patchouli turned him on too much. Her breasts, her thighs, her scent, her wonderfully tight pussy. He didn’t think of past or future. Patchouli was his whole world. He thrust again and again, and plunged deep within as he shot a thick load of cum inside her.

“Aeda, stay inside me please. And kiss me.” He kissed as his cock gradually softened. Eventually he dismounted and lay at her side. Patchouli cuddled up against him. “See, Aeda, we could have stayed here all along.”

“But would it have been so much fun?”

Patchouli lay quiet for a while. “I guess not.”

* * * * *

When Aeda returned to the library the next morning, Koakuma handed him a folded newspaper. It was in Japanese, but he flicked through the whole thing. In small print, at the bottom of the last page, was a small box of English text.

“A. Rematch? I’ll go first this time. Just yell into the wind. I’ll hear you. A.”

He already had three girls keeping him busy, but Aeda couldn’t say no to that. He resolved to keep an eye on the weather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is probably going to be Meiling, but expect a longer delay.


	4. Chinese Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tanuki are holding a festival, and Remilia has given the SDM staff the afternoon off to attend. Patchouli prefers to stay in the library, so Aeda asks Meiling to go with him instead. But tanuki are masters of illusion, and all is not what it seems...

“Hey, Aeda!”

Patchouli was calling. Aeda put the book down in a hurry and stepped out from the library shelves to meet her. “Aeda,” she continued, “I remembered something I was supposed to tell you.” She took his hand and dragged him toward her favorite armchair. “There’s going to be a festival—sit down, okay—and Remi gave everyone the afternoon off. I have some money to give you.” Aeda sat down.

Patchouli stopped, a little out of breath, then climbed into Aeda’s lap like an overgrown cat. This came as no surprise to him. Ever since Patchouli had rushed him home from the Great Youkai Forest, they’d become very comfortable with each other’s bodies. The only thing that bothered him was the setback to his self-imposed work schedule. It was only mid-afternoon, and twice today she’d interrupted him to demand oral sex. But Aeda was very happy to indulge her. How could he turn down somebody with a body like hers? He reached for her gorgeously soft breasts and gave them a playful squeeze.

“Aeda! Just listen, okay? A few years back, a whole lot of tanuki came here from the Outside World, and every year they hold a festival. Remilia missed the last one, but she’s not going to miss this one, and she’s even giving everybody some cash she they can enjoy it properly.”

Aeda hadn’t thought much about money since he’d arrived, but now that Patchouli had brought it up he remembered their first conversation.

“I meant to ask earlier, but I’ve been here over a week now, and we’ve never discussed my wages.”

“Ah…” Patchouli sounded embarrassed. “I really did tell you the truth when I said you’d get the same pay as the maids. You see, the maids don’t get paid anything.” She twisted her body against his and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Aeda laughed. “I thought it might be something like that. I’m not mad. Pay or no pay, this has to be the best job there is.”

“You work harder than the maids, you know. You should slack off some more. Koakuma was unhappy you didn’t have sex with her this morning.”

“Where is Koakuma anyway? I haven’t seen her recently.”

“I let Sakuya borrow her to help set things in order before everyone leaves. Sakuya has to stay to look after the little sister, so it’s only fair to give her some help now.” The little sister was Flandre, as Patchouli had explained earlier. Of course it wouldn’t do to leave Flandre in the mansion alone, and Sakuya would probably be offended if somebody suggested she did. But a festival sounded fun. Aeda thought it would be nice to go with Patchouli.

“When are we leaving?” he asked.

“ _We_ aren’t going there at all. It’s horribly noisy and crowded. I’m staying here. I just thought you might like to go, and there will some other humans there. I don’t think any of them will speak English though. Ask the maids or someone to take you.”

“The maids don’t speak much English either.”

“Just say ‘tanuki no matsuri’ and they’ll get the idea. Anyway, come to my room and I’ll give you the cash.”

Patchouli slipped off Aeda’s lap and headed for her bedroom. Aeda followed her inside, and she handed him a little cloth bag that clinked as he moved it. He untied it and looked inside.

“One hundred yen coins?” asked Aeda.

“That’s right. Remilia thinks coins feel more like treasure than flimsy paper money.” Patchouli’s eyes drifted down to Aeda’s crotch, then flicked up again. “Aeda… I’m really tempted to ask you to stay, but, you’re not the only one with work to do. I have some difficult spell research in progress, and as much as I’d love to play with you, I need a few days focus without distractions. You’d better take the laptop too.” She kissed Aeda briefly, then clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, get out of here before I change my mind. You go and have some fun at the festival.”

As much as Aeda wanted to have some fun with Patchouli right there, he could understand her point of view. And maybe he’d find Koakuma, or Marisa might show up. Reluctantly, he left.

* * * * *

Aeda put the laptop away in his room. Although he was sure he could find some maids in the servants’ quarters, he was less sure he could make himself understood. The maids cooked and cleaned well enough, but communicating with foreigners was another matter. He had somebody else in mind. Aeda worked his way through the corridors, through the entrance chamber, through the front door and front garden and front gate, and arrived at Meiling’s hut. She saw him through the open window and came out smiling happily.

“Hi! Aeda! Come in! Would you like some tea?”

Meiling held the door for him as he entered the guard post. He saw a desk cluttered with comic books, a wooden stool, several cardboard boxes of assorted junk, and on a shelf on the far wall, a tea set.

“Thank you,” said Aeda, “I’d love some.”

“I’m sorry it’s cramped in here. It’s not part of the mansion grounds, so you can’t expect luxury. But I have some very good tea. A special present from Remilia. It’s from outside the barrier. It’s _lóngjǐng_.” Aeda didn’t know the word, but from the melodic pitch of the vowels, it had to be Chinese. “Have you tried it before?” asked Meiling.

“I’m not sure. I don’t speak Chinese.”

“I can teach you! But maybe you should learn Japanese first, unless you already know it. ‘Aeda’ is a Japanese name, isn’t it?”

“It is, but I only know a little Japanese. Like that kanji on your hat, it says ‘dragon’, right?”

“Wrong!” Meiling seemed delighted by his mistake. “It’s not kanji, it’s _hànzì_.”

“It looks identical.”

“So it does. That’s because the Japanese copied it. It’s really Chinese. And it doesn’t mean ‘dragon’, it means ‘Chinese dragon.’ ”

“Is it really different?”

Meiling pulled a cardboard box up to the desk and sat on it, the tea temporarily forgotten. Aeda took the stool and listened. “It’s very different. A Western dragon is just a big ugly lizard. It stores its treasure on the floor like an animal, and it’s always kidnapping princesses, and it’s always fighting knights. But a Chinese dragon is wise and strong and beautiful. It’s a most auspicious sign to see a Chinese dragon. A Chinese dragon could easily beat a Western dragon in a fight.”

Aeda had some doubts about Meiling’s claims, but she stated them enthusiastically. “That’s a big difference. I won’t get them mixed up.”

“Good!” exclaimed Meiling. “A Chinese dragon is _lóng_ , and that’s the same _lóng_ as in _lóngjǐng_ tea. In English, it’s ‘Chinese dragon well.’ I’ll prepare some.”

“Thank you.”

Meiling retrieved the tea set, and something that looked a lot like an electric water boiler, except covered all over in strange runes. He couldn’t see a power cable either. Meiling pressed a button, and the runes began to glow red. “I got it from Kourindou—that’s Rinnosuke’s shop, not far from the human village—and it didn’t work, but Patchouli fixed it for me.”

Not so much fixing it as giving it a new power source, thought Aeda, but whatever Patchouli had done was effective. It swiftly heated the water to the perfect temperature for green tea. A wisp of steam escaped through the window. Meiling took a key from her pocket and retrieved a jar of tea from a locked drawer under her desk. She scooped some long green tea leaves into the teapot, rinsed them with hot water, then refilled it and let it brew.

A delicious scent filled the room, and before long Meiling poured the tea into two little tea cups. Aeda took a sip. It really was good, with a bright and fresh taste, and an underlying complexity that lingered in his mouth. “Thank you, Meiling. This is excellent.”

Meiling sipped her own tea. “I’m glad you visited. It gets very boring here. It’s rare for anybody to challenge me properly. Most trespassers just fly over the wall. And that’s annoying, because there’s an alarm spell, and it goes _ding ding ding ding ding ding_ in my head until I shut it off.” She looked at Aeda severely.

“Oh, sorry about that. I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Meiling, sounding cheerful again. “You weren’t the one flying. It was just Patchouli causing trouble again. And Patchouli is kind to me most of the time so I won’t complain.”

“Can you fly?”

Meiling swirled the remains of her tea, then gulped it down. She poured more hot water into the teapot. “The second brew tastes even better”, she said, ignoring the question.

“I’m asking because I heard there’s going to be a festival, and everybody’s going, but Patchouli didn’t tell me how to get there, and I was wondering if you’d take me.”

“Ah! Somebody wants to go to the festival with me! Yes, I’d like to accompany you. More tea?” Meiling poured for both of them, and it did indeed taste even better than the first brew. “Aeda, I’ll take you there, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to fly. You see, strictly speaking, I don’t fly. I use _qīnggōng_. That’s a technique that makes your body light. If it’s light enough you can jump off a single speck of dust. That’s almost as good as flying, but you can’t carry people unless they have strong _qì_. And, I don’t mean to insult you, but…”

Qi, thought Aeda, is probably the same as ki. Of course it would be a real thing here in Gensokyo. “Do I have strong qi?”

“I’m sorry to say, but the answer is ‘no.’ ”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s not your fault. You’re a human, and you don’t look like you’ve had any training.”

“Can you train me?”

Meiling looked at Aeda skeptically. “I suppose we can try it. Finish your tea.”

* * * * *

“No, no, no! You must move smoothly!” Meiling grabbed Aeda’s wrists as he flailed ineptly outside the guard hut. “Like reeling silk from a silkworm cocoon. _Chánsī_. It’s the most fundamental technique of _tàijíquán_.”

Aeda stopped to catch his breath. “I’ve never actually seen a silkworm before.”

“There are silk farmers in the human village. They might show you if you ask. A silkworm isn’t really a worm at all. It’s a caterpillar, and it makes a cocoon of thread around itself. To unravel the thread you must pull smoothly. If you jerk it then it will stick or break. The same applies to _qì_. Watch again.”

Meiling held both hands in front of herself like she was holding an invisible ball. She stepped forward into a fighting stance, then traced a perfect circle in the air, smoothly shifting her weight from one leg to the other, and moving her arms without the slightest tremor or hesitation. The difference in skill seemed insurmountable.

“Is there no alternative?” asked Aeda.

Meiling lowered her arms and frowned. “I suppose we could try Buddhist methods. The do have some merit. Zen is originally Chinese, you know. Its proper name is _Chán_. But I don’t like to suggest it, because have you ever seen a Zen master fight? They can’t stand up to the power of _tàijí_.”

Aeda was no expert on Zen, or Buddhism is general, but he was sure Meiling was missing the point. “I don’t mind,” he said. “I don’t want to fight—I only want to fly.”

“Wait here then. If somebody tries to break in, tell them I won’t be long, and I’ll fight them as soon as I get back.” She dashed into the mansion, leaving Aeda as deputy gatekeeper.

* * * * *

When Meiling returned, she was carrying two cushions, one square and flat, and the other round.

“We’ll try this Japanese style,” said Meiling. She set the flat cushion on the dry grass by the wall of the hut. “Zabuton,” she explained, pointing to it. On top of it went the round cushion. “Zafu. Now sit on it, facing the wall, cross-legged, and with a foot on top of each thigh.”

Aeda sat on the round zafu, and put his left foot on his right thigh. Easy enough. He tried to raise his right foot. Not so easy. He tugged it with his hands, but he lacked the flexibility. “It’s no good,” he said. “It won’t go there.”

“It is of no importance,” said Meiling. “Hankafuza is good enough. That’s ‘half-lotus’ in English. Rest the other foot on the zabuton.”

It was still a little uncomfortable, but Aeda at least felt stable. So this was some kind of meditation thing? He heard Meiling speak behind him.

“We will attempt a simple concentration exercise. This is the first stage of zazen. You will develop your powers of concentration by focusing on your breathing. Do you know how to breathe?”

“Doesn’t it happen automatically?”

Meiling knelt behind him, and put one hand on Aeda’s belly, and the other on his chest. She sighed. “You’re breathing wrong.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“In zazen, as in _tàijí_ , the breath flows from the muscles of the belly. Do not slouch! Straighten your spine, like so”—she moved her hands to press Aeda’s back into position—“and keep your head balanced like a steel rod is pulling the top of your skull to the heavens. This is the most ancient and powerful form of meditation, as it was first practiced in ancient India. Your muscles must not be tense, but you must not relax. As the great master Dōgen taught, sit like your hair is on fire!”

Meiling put her hand on Aeda’s belly. “Inhale!” ordered Meiling. “Push your belly out and feel the breath flow. Hold your chest in absolute stillness. Relax your eyes but do not close them. Set your tongue lightly against the roof of your mouth. Touch the tips of your thumbs together. Hold your hands palm upward. Hold the breath. And… through the nose… exhale!”

It was a lot to take in at once. Aeda tried his best. He felt no trace of enlightenment, but if it meant flying again he’d take it seriously. He let his lungs slowly empty through his nose, and turned around to look at Meiling. “How about that?”

“Back! Back! Don’t look at me! You had it! Breathe with no obstruction to the ki. Straighten your spine and do it again!”

* * * * *

After a little practice, it wasn’t so difficult. Aeda could breathe using only his diaphragm muscle, keeping his chest relaxed. He could keep his back straight and still, and maintain his balance on the zafu with only the slightest shifts of posture. He saw the wall of the guard hut through unfocused, motionless eyes, and it seemed to fade to featureless gray. Meiling was talking to him.

“That is good. You are ready to advance. People with weak ki can spend the whole day unaware of reality. They see only the past and the future, and forget to pay attention to the present. To grow strong you must learn to see what is really there. Don’t be fooled by what you imagine to be there. Your breath is real, so first you must focus all your attention on your breath. Breathe in, and breathe out, with a burning laser of concentration. Count the breaths from one to ten, and think of nothing else.”

“What happens when I get to ten?”

“Start again from one. The same if you lose concentration. You must start again.”

Aeda began slow and focused breathing. One… two… three… four… five… he was really doing it—great success! But wasn’t that a mistake? If the goal was total concentration on the breath, then thoughts of victory were a sure sign of failure. Back to square one…

And two… three… four… five… six… smooth breathing… just like reeling silk. Meiling must be impressed! Meiling’s legs look sexy when she does that silk reeling thing. The dress opens so high you can almost see her panties…

THWACK!

Aeda almost fell off the zafu. “Ow! What was that?” He rubbed his stinging shoulders and turned around.

Meiling was swishing a thin wooden switch through the air. “That was the keisaku. You might call it the ‘stick of admonishment.’ Aeda, you can’t fool me. You are not concentrating correctly! Start again!”

Aeda returned to the half-lotus position, and slowed his breathing. Nothing but counting breaths… one… two… his shoulders still hurt. Should they really hurt? It wasn’t a very big stick. Maybe Meiling just swung it really fast. Had it left a mark? Koakuma would probably want to play with it. He should borrow it, and grab Koakuma, and bend her over, and pull her panties down, and bring it down hard on her bare ass… Koakuma would like that… He’d slip a finger inside her pussy and…

THWACK!

“Ow! Meiling! Do you really have to swing it so hard?”

“It’s no good,” said Meiling sadly. “By the time you’ve learned to do it right we’ll have missed the festival. We’ll have to walk.”

* * * * *

Walking wasn’t so bad. Meiling had tied a notice to the front gate informing trespassers that they should please wait until tomorrow, and now they followed a path alongside a stream that flowed into the Misty Lake. Meiling was trying to teach Aeda the names of all the plants they passed, in English, Chinese, and Japanese. He didn’t recognize most of them, and the words all blurred together in his memory, but Meiling seemed happy to have somebody listening to her. He didn’t interrupt.

The timing, as Meiling pointed out, was actually better this way. If they’d flown to the Youkai Tanuki Forest then they’d have arrived too early, and the only people there would have been setting up the stalls. And walking let you appreciate the scenery better. The stream splashed over the rocks below, insects hummed, and birds chirped as they thought about settling down for the night. The sun was low in the sky, which glowed with beautiful oranges and reds. It was getting hard to see the plants that Meiling pointed out to him.

The path turned away from the stream, and entered a forest. The sun had dropped below the horizon, and Aeda could barely see Meiling, but her voice was clear. She told him tales of ancient Chinese heroes. They passed the crest of a hill, and the path opened onto a great clearing, full of glowing lanterns and bustling activity.

“We’re there,” said Meiling. “Right on time.”

There had to be thousands of people there already. Aeda could see why Patchouli hadn’t wanted to go. He felt a little intimidated himself. Even if he wasn’t the only human, he knew that not all youkai were as friendly as the ones he’d met. Perhaps sensing his apprehension, Meiling put a hand on his shoulder. “Stick close to me, Aeda, and you won’t get lost.” They walked down into the festival.

* * * * *

The festival grounds only got busier as they strolled through the rows of stalls. Both humans and youkai were selling all kinds of foods. Aeda hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so he looked at them with great interest, and felt for the bag of coins in his pocket.

“Ah, they have taiyaki!” said Meiling. They stopped in front of a stall where a human-looking man in a white hat was ladling batter into an iron mold. “It’s not real sea bream,” she explained. “It’s just made to look like it. Gensokyo doesn’t have an ocean, so ocean fish are too expensive for the common people. Not everybody can eat like Scarlet Devil Mansion residents. But sweet red bean paste is delicious too. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please,” said Aeda. He reached for the cash, but Meiling put a hand on his, and insisted on paying for both of them. The chef scooped bean paste into the imitation fish, then swung the mold on its hinge to join the two halves together. Once the taiyaki were cooked he wrapped them in paper and gave them to Aeda and Meiling.

The two of them ate as they walked. There were a great many fairies present, chattering and running about like unruly children, and closer to the center, a great many youkai with dog-like ears and thick fluffy tails.

“They’re tanuki,” said Meiling, “They have an animal form too, but most of the time they look like that. They’re master shape-shifters, and masters of illusion magic. They can look completely human if they want to. Look, they have a portable shrine. They must have brought their god here from Sado island.”

“Patchouli said something about them coming from the Outside World. Where is Sado island?”

“Japan!” said Meiling confidently.

The portable shrine was a large wooden box, decorated with silver and gold and elaborate carvings. It was resting on wooden blocks on its carrying poles, and its paper lanterns were unlit. A few tanuki stood idle beside it. Meiling and Aeda kept walking.

Not far from the portable shrine, a mass of youkai crowded around something, pushing and shoving with excitement. Their center of attention was another box, not as big as the shrine, but even more eye-catching. Its flashing lights and bright colors looked incongruously modern. The top half was mostly transparent glass or plastic, and a mechanical contraption moved inside.

“Look at that!” said Aeda. “It’s one of those claw crane games. I wonder how they get the electricity for it?”

“You’ve seen it before?” asked Meiling.

“Not that exact one, but it’s a game from the Outside World. You push buttons to move the claw and try to catch prizes. Do you think the tanuki brought it from Sado?”

“Well, people are sneaking through the barrier all the time these days, so it might be possible, but it looks too big for that to me.”

“If it’s too big, how did they get the portable shrine through?”

“I didn’t say they brought the portal shrine with them. They probably made that here. But the shrine is just a box to hold a shintai—that’s a sacred relic that a god can ride inside—and that probably came from outside. I hope it doesn’t cause any trouble.”

They pushed through the crowd to examine the claw crane in more detail. “It really does look modern,” said Aeda. “Those lights look just like electric lights. I haven’t seem anything like this since I arrived here.”

“Aeda, we do have electricity in Gensokyo. They make it underground in Hell, and they pump it up here through long wires of copper. Somebody tried to sell some to Remilia not so long ago.”

“And she turned them down?”

“Remilia said she doesn’t want Hell electricity. She only wants proper Gensokyo electricity, and nobody makes it here.”

Aeda watched a fairy slam a clenched fist down on a button, and the claw descended into the pile of plush toys. It came up empty.

“Look at that!” said Meiling.

“What is it?”

“It’s a panda!” Sure enough, in the middle of the pile of toy animals, was a panda. “Isn’t it cute?”

“It’s cute,” said Aeda.

“I want to catch it.” Meiling pushed through the crowd to read the instructions card, and gave 100 yen to the tanuki standing by the game. She set the claw swinging wildly. The machine played a brief melody as it descended, and it just barely touched the panda. “Wow, cool!” said Meiling. “I’m going to try again.”

Ignoring the impatient crowd, Meiling pressed another coin into the tanuki’s hand. This time she lined up the claw correctly, but it didn’t get a good grip on the panda. The three prongs slipped apart as it retracted, and the panda only shifted position slightly. “Did you see that?” asked Meiling. “I almost caught it!”

“Almost,” said Aeda. “But we’d better let other people play too. It seems to be a popular attraction.”

Aeda watched as various youkai took their turn at the claw crane. Meiling seemed agitated, perhaps worried that somebody else would catch the panda. Any fears were misplaced, because nobody so much as nudged it. Aeda was more puzzled by how the machine worked.

It looked modern. It sounded modern. But it was completely out of place in this traditional festival setting. Was the power cable buried underground? It would be a lot of work for something temporary. He couldn’t see any power switch either. There was definitely something weird about it.

Aeda stared at the claw crane, concentrating hard. What was it that Meiling had said? Learn to see what’s really there? If tanuki were masters of illusion, could he trust his own eyes? Aeda stared and stared. The lights looked bright but somehow they didn’t hurt his eyes. The claw descended, and the claw retracted. Somebody had won a little toy mouse. Lights flashed, and chimes played, but what was the tanuki doing behind the machine?

As he watched, Aeda became aware of a strange sound. He listened to the clicking noise, and became more and more certain that it had been there all along. The tanuki had definitely been moving her arm in a circle, and not smoothly like Meiling’s silk reeling. He recognized the sound.

“Meiling,” said Aeda, “those lights aren’t electric at all. They’re just candles. The tanuki turns a crank. The machine’s clockwork.”

Meiling stared too, then jerked her head in surprise. “You’re right. I can see the crank there.”

“Look,” said Aeda, “the crane moves slower as the mainspring winds down. She’s going to wind it again soon.”

“Then let’s catch the panda while it’s slow! Quick, now’s our chance!”

“Wait,” said Aeda, and put a hand on Meiling’s arm.

“Somebody else is going to catch my panda!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” The greatest difficulty, thought Aeda, wasn’t in lining up the claw. Most players had made the claw swing out of control, but Aeda knew to line it up by the top of the mechanism, and to wait until it stopped swinging before sending it down. The real problem was the prize slipping from the claw’s grasp. If the machine moved slower as it wound down, wouldn’t it also have weaker grip? The game would be easier when it was faster.

Aeda waited a little longer. The tanuki turned the crank again, and he pushed forward, 100 yen coin in hand. He paid, and took his position in front of the buttons. The instructions were in Japanese, but the arrow symbols were self-explanatory. He examined the panda, and he examined the crane. This was it. He focused his mind to a burning laser of concentration. The clockwork clicked and whirred, and the crane stopped above the panda. It began its descent.

All three prongs of the claw wrapped around the panda. It jerked upward, and slipped a little, but still hung on. It changed direction toward the chute where the winnings fell, and still it held on. Only a few more inches to go… But it slipped, and the panda landed on the edge of the chute. Toward me! Toward me! Aeda willed it to fall. And then, at first slowly, but with increasing speed, the panda began to tilt, and it fell into the winner’s prize chute. This time he saw no flashing lights and heard no ringing chimes.

“Omedetōgozaimasu!” said the tanuki.

Aeda picked up the toy panda, and gave it to Meiling. “A present for you,” he said.

Meiling hugged the panda, then surprised Aeda by hugging him too. “Thank you!” She hugged the panda again. “I’m going to name her _Zhēnlín_.”

With nothing else in the machine appealing to them, and mindful of their limited funds, Aeda and Meiling resumed their stroll through the festival grounds. The panda rode balanced on Meiling’s shoulder.

“Look,” said Aeda, “it’s Marisa.”

Marisa was sitting on a bench by a wooden table, opposite a young woman in a red and white dress, and another in a blue dress. A doll, about ten inches tall, was walking on the table with no obvious support, and pouring sake for them from a bottle that was much too big for it.

“Hey, Aeda!” yelled Marisa. “Over here!” Aeda sat down next to her, and Meiling sat at her other side. Marisa introduced them to her companions. “It’s my good friend Aeda! He works at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. In the library. And you all know Meiling, don’t you?”

“Eigo?” asked the woman in the red and white dress.

“Stop pretending you don’t speak it, Reimu,” said Marisa. “This is Reimu—he can call you Reimu, can’t he?—and Reimu is off duty now, so she’d not allowed to be mad that you’re here.”

“You sneaked through the barrier. Yukari told me.” said Reimu. “Also the tanuki sneaked through the barrier. It can’t be helped.” She emptied her sake cup, and the doll staggered across the table to refill it.

“This is Alice,” said Marisa. The woman in blue gave an almost imperceptible nod before dropping her head to stare silently at the table. “And this is Shanghai.” She picked up the doll, which waved its legs in panic. “Alice makes the dolls herself, and she does doll magic, and the dolls do clever things.” Marisa held the doll in front of Aeda for him to admire before putting it back on the table.

Not wanting to be left out, Meiling set the toy panda next to Shanghai. “This is _Zhēnlín_. Aeda won her for me from the tanuki’s machine.”

Alice glanced at it for a moment, then resumed her examination of the wood grain. “Cute,” she muttered.

“A romantic date!” laughed Marisa. “Don’t worry Meiling. I won’t steal him from you tonight. Want some sake?”

“Yes, thank you,” said Meiling. Aeda accepted some too. Marisa fumbled with a bag under the table, retrieved two more cups, and waited for Shanghai to pour for them. They sat and drank, and watched the crowds of youkai pass by. In the distance, the tanuki had lit the lanterns of their portable shrine. Aeda and Meiling finished their sake.

“Hey, Meiling!” said Marisa, loudly. She slapped an arm over Meiling’s shoulders and whispered something in her ear.

“Eeeeeh!” Meiling pulled back with a look of surprise.

“What’s that?” asked Aeda.

Meiling stood up, taking the panda with her. “It looks like the tanuki are ready to lift the shrine,” she said. “Let’s go.”

“The shrine will come here,” said Reimu, but Aeda was already following Meiling. He looked back just in time to see Marisa sticking her tongue out at him.

A great crowd of youkai had gathered along the sides of the broad central avenue. Wings, tails, horns, and pointed ears of all kinds drew Aeda’s attention. The red lamps gave everything a dream-like glow. The moon was up, waxing gibbous, looking brighter and bigger than he remembered it from the Outside World. Aeda let his pace slow to take in the sights, but Meiling continued ahead. He hurried to avoid being left behind.

Not far off, sixteen tanuki had lifted the shrine onto their shoulders, four to each pole. Ahead of them, a formation of tanuki had assembled, some holding drums, some holding flutes. A single tanuki, with an unusually large and fluffy tail, stood alone in front of them, holding a large bass drum. She lifted the beater and swung it down. A low booming thud rang out across the festival ground. The parade started to move.

The tanuki beat the drums with a steady rhythm. They played strange harmonies on their flutes, sounding almost dissonant to Aeda’s ears, and they danced, swishing their tails from side to side. The shrine-bearers jolted the shrine in time with the leader’s bass drum. Aeda could hear them chanting.

“Wasshoi!”

“Wasshoi!”

“Wasshoi!”

The parade was very close to him now. Countless youkai milled about beside him, jostling for a better position, but Aeda paid them no attention. He was watching the tanuki. Their dance, their music, the shrine swaying back and forth—it was all so new and strange and magical. He stood entranced as the shrine made its way to the end of the avenue and turned out of sight.

It seemed very quiet now the parade had gone. Aeda looked for Meiling, but he couldn’t see her. The crowd had mostly gone too. He could still see the food stalls, but why were the lanterns unlit? He turned, still searching for Meiling. In front of him appeared to be three children.

Lurking at the back, a little girl in a black dress stood with her face obscured by shadows. A few feet in front of her was somebody in a white shirt and red cape, a little taller even if you didn’t count the insect-like antennae protruding from her head. And closest to him, with her hands on her hips and a smug look on her face, was a fairy in a blue dress, her wings glittering like shards of ice.

The fairy in blue stared at him. It was so dark now that Aeda could barely make out the food stalls in the distance. The fairy pointed a finger at his chest and spoke in loud Japanese.

“Ningen da yo!”

The girl in black hovered slowly over the ground toward him. “Oishii?” she asked.

Aeda could hear the buzzing of insects. He felt tiny feet creeping on his neck, and brushed something uncomfortably large away. The girl with the bug antennae held up a hand to let a swarm of cockroaches settle on it. Aeda was now very worried indeed. These three, despite their diminutive sizes, looked dangerous. Aeda felt himself shivering. It was night, and he was still in his normal clothes, but was it really that cold already? He looked down at the fairy, and addressed her confidently. “Hi. My name’s Aeda. Who are you?”

“Hen na ningen!” The fairy poked him hard in the belly, and he felt painfully cold. He looked around, hoping for some escape route. All he could see was darkness. Should he run? Fight? Could he even outrun youkai?

All three of them were close now. Aeda’s muscles were tense, his heart pounding. Nothing for it but to run blindly. And then, without warning, came a piercing yell from the darkness.

“JAOOOOOO!!!!!!”

With her dress flaring out, her hair streaming behind her, Meiling was there, hovering a foot in the air. Dust churned from the dry ground beneath her. She held the toy panda at arm’s length like a dueling sword, and gazed unblinking at the girl in black. Aeda felt a crushing pressure in his chest, and the darkness vanished as if blown away by a hurricane. Meiling lunged at the trio almost too fast for Aeda to see.

For a brief moment they stared, wide-eyed, stunned by the surprise attack. Meiling dropped to the ground in a fighting stance. She switched the panda to her off-hand, and a red glow formed around her fist. The three interlopers turned and fled. Meiling ran to Aeda.

“Meiling!” exclaimed Aeda, grateful for her intervention. “Thank you!”

“Those brats causing trouble again. Same ones I caught trying to sneak into the mansion.” She looked over Aeda from head to toe. “Did they hurt you?” she asked, voice suddenly full of concern.

Aeda was feeling warmer and calmer already. “I don’t think so.”

“Good.”

“You sure scared them off quickly. You looked really cool just then. Like some hero from your stories.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Ah! Thank you!” Meiling covered her face with the panda.

“Are real pandas as fierce as Zhenlin?” asked Aeda. He didn’t even try to get the tones right, but Meiling didn’t seem to mind

“Fiercer!” She brandished Zhenlin in a simulated panda attack, then returned her to her shoulder. “Aeda,” she said, “you should hold my hand. I mean, just so we don’t get separated again.” Aeda took Meiling’s hand and smiled.

The wandered the festival hand in hand, and bought some more food, for which Meiling insisted on paying. Aeda was starting to think about how they would get back home. Walking had been pleasant enough in daylight, but he wasn’t looking forward to walking in darkness. His phone’s flashlight mode wouldn’t last the whole trip back.

He was going to mention it to Meiling, but before he got round to saying anything, a tanuki ran up to them holding a lantern. She started talking in Japanese. “What’s she saying?” asked Aeda.

“Luxury hotel,” said Meiling. “Special discount for festival goers. She wants us to follow her.”

That did sound a lot better than walking home in the dark. “Let’s check it out,” said Aeda.

They left the festival and followed the tanuki down a narrow path into the surrounding forest. The lantern cast eerie shadows as she proceeded through the dense trees. Then, suddenly, they saw the hotel. “Luxury” was no exaggeration. It was imposingly big, and ostentatiously decorated. The architecture reminded Aeda of a Japanese castle, but with a profusion of gold and silver and dazzling lights that made Aeda feel dizzy to look at them.

The tanuki opened the door for them and bowed low. They entered a lobby of polished marble, where several uniformed tanuki waited for them. Meiling stepped up to the reception desk and began to talk. She got out her bag of coins, and counted them, then turned to Aeda.

“It’s no good,” said Meiling, sadly. “I can’t afford a room.”

Aeda felt somewhat bad about that. Meiling had been buying things for him all evening, and now she didn’t have enough for herself. But he got out his own coin bag, and put it next to hers. “Meiling,” he said, “what if we pool our coins and share a room? Could we afford it then?”

Meiling counted the coins, and after some brief discussion with the receptionist, she turned happily to Aeda. “Yes! I asked about the discount, and with all our money together we can afford a room. Thank you! I volunteer to sleep on the floor.”

Another tanuki hurried them along a dark corridor to their hotel room. She pushed the door open and Aeda and Meiling entered. It was only a small room, but it was richly furnished, with a large bed, a chest of drawers next to it, a wardrobe, a door to an en suite bathroom, and a window looking out to the dark forest, with heavy curtains hanging all the way down to a thick red carpet. The tanuki bowed to them and left.

Meiling moved about the room, opening and examining things excitedly. She set Zhenlin on top of the chest of drawers, and put her hat next to her. Aeda, his feet beginning to hurt from all the walking, sat on the bed and lay back. It felt delightfully soft, more so than his bed at the mansion. He sank comfortably into it and stared at the ceiling. Thick carpet or not, he didn’t think Meiling should sleep on the floor. He called her over. “Hey, Meiling, check out how soft the bed is.”

Meiling lay down beside Aeda, and as the back of her head touched the covers, she seemed to slip sideways toward him. She pulled back in flustered confusion, but only managed to get an arm stuck under Aeda’s back. “Ah, Aeda, I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry. I’ll get up right away.” The bed seemed to suck her down like quicksand.

Aeda wasn’t concerned. He was warm and comfortable now, and if Meiling wanted to touch him, that was fine with him. He’d been wanting to touch her all evening, and it made things simpler if she took the initiative. “Meiling, don’t worry about it.” He turned to face her, his body rubbing against hers. “I’m happy you’re touching me.”

“It was an accident!”

“You could get up and do it again deliberately.”

“You don’t mind me touching you like this? Seriously?”

“Of course not. You can touch me as much as you like. Meiling, you’re strong and brave and beautiful. You’re just like a Chinese dragon.”

“Aaah!” She pressed her blushing face into the bed sheets, and spoke with muffled voice. “That’s the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me.”

“Meiling, may I kiss you?”

She uncovered her face and looked into Aeda’s eyes. “Please kiss me a lot.”

Aeda pulled her closer and kissed. He remembered Marisa’s training, and kept his mouth relaxed as he pressed his lips against Meiling’s. They kissed deeply and softly, exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues as they embraced.

Meiling grew more confident as the long kiss continued. Aeda could feel the power in her body, the perfectly controlled inner strength. Meiling thrust her tongue deeper into his mouth, and he sucked it lightly. Despite all his practice with Patchouli and Marisa, Aeda knew he was still a beginner. Meiling’s kiss was as smooth and skillful as her tai chi demonstration.

Eventually, Meiling pulled away, and lay on her side smiling at him. Thinking of Marisa’s lessons had reminded Aeda of something earlier that evening. “What did Marisa say to you earlier?” he asked.

“I can’t say it.”

“Why not? Marisa is always kind to me, so I’m sure it wasn’t anything bad.”

“It’s too embarrassing.”

Aeda already had a good guess what Marisa had said, but he wanted to hear it from Meiling. The contrast between her tall, muscular body, and her blushing face was incredibly cute. “Meiling, you can tell me.”

Meiling lay silent for a long awkward moment. “…I’m only repeating what Marisa said.”

“What was it?”

“Marisa said there’s something else you like to do with your mouth, and she said you’re good at it. She said I should ask you to do it to me.”

“Do what?” asked Aeda.

“…lick me,” muttered Meiling.

“Where should I lick you?”

Meiling turned to face the ceiling, then spoke very softly. “My pussy.”

“Meiling, I’d love to,” said Aeda. “Take your clothes off first.”

Meiling stood up, looking more confident now. “Aeda, you too.” She turned Zhenlin around to face the wall, then unfastened her dress. She folded it carefully and hung it in the wardrobe. Aeda began to drop his own clothes in an untidy pile on the floor.

When he was down to his underpants, Aeda stopped to watch Meiling take off her bra. It always fascinated him how women could get them off so quickly. Her breasts weren’t as big as Patchouli’s, but considering how little fat she had, they were by no means small, and they were beautifully round and firm. Her whole body was beautiful. Long, muscular legs, clearly defined abs, biceps bigger than his own, and enough curves that her strong warrior’s body still looked feminine. Her breasts bounced enticingly as she crossed the room to sit on the bed, legs slightly apart. Aeda sat next to her and kissed her again.

He broke off the kiss, and put a hand on Meiling’s thigh. “They’re silk, aren’t they?” He traced a finger over her smooth red panties, feeling the outline of her pussy lips through the damp fabric. “They’re wet.”

“It’s your fault Aeda, because you’re kissing me, and saying you want to use your mouth there. You’re making me go crazy. Please, Aeda, don’t make me wait any longer.”

He stood in front of her. “So I pull the silk in one smooth motion, like I’m unreeling it from a cocoon?”

Meiling nodded. “That’s right.” Aeda pulled, sliding the panties down her legs as smoothly as he could manage. He dropped them on the floor. Meiling spread her legs, showing Aeda her glistening wet pussy, and her fiery red bush. Aeda knelt on the floor between her thighs. There was no way he could hold back. He began to lick, and Meiling gasped. “Oh, wow, Aeda…” He kept licking. “Marisa was right.”

Aeda moved his tongue with practiced skill. He didn’t yet think of himself as an expert, but he’d already gained a lot of experience since he’d arrived in Gensokyo. Patchouli especially had helped him build endurance, but the way Meiling was reacting, Aeda didn’t think he’d need it. Fluids gushed over his tongue, and dripped down to stain the bed. Meiling was breathing heavily. He moved his tongue up to her clit. “Aeda, that’s good…”

Meiling’s clit was bigger than Patchouli’s, and she seemed to like harder stimulation. Aeda gently wrapped his lips around it. He rested his hands on Meiling’s thighs, and focused his attention on her reactions. This time his focus was solid, and he licked with meditative concentration. No thoughts of past or future could distract him from the delightful present. Meiling’s taste was no illusion. Meiling’s scent was real. Aeda breathed with his abdominal muscles as she’d taught him, enjoying the arousing smell. He counted strokes of his tongue, from one to ten, then back to one again, repeating with no heed of time.

Aeda kept licking Meiling’s clit. She was moaning loudly now. Aeda licked harder and faster, stimulating her with lips and tongue. Meiling gasped with pleasure. Aeda didn’t slow down. He felt her hands on his head, and her powerful body twitched and shuddered. He kept his mouth on her pussy, licking slowly as she came. “Aeda, that’s enough.” He looked up to see Meiling smiling at him. Aeda got up and sat on the bed next to her.

“Aeda,” said Meiling, “thank you so much! Marisa doesn’t always tell the truth, and I was worried you wouldn’t want to do it, but that was even better than I thought it would be.” She squeezed her body against his, and kissed him, then looked down at Aeda’s crotch. The outline of his erect penis showed through his underpants. Meiling groped it through the fabric. “Hey! Yours have a wet spot too!”

“Well, yeah,” said Aeda. “Look.” He tugged the waist-band and let his penis spring free. A drop of pre-cum oozed from the tip. “That’s what you do to me.”

“Aeda,” said Meiling, “I want to put it in my mouth. May I?”

“Of course. Here, let me take these off.” The underpants landed with his other clothes. Aeda sat on the edge of the bed, and this time Meiling took her place on the floor.

Aeda always liked getting head from Marisa, and Marisa was always happy to give it, but Aya’s brief blowjob had left Aeda suspecting that youkai were better at it. It was no more than speculation, because the calm weather had frustrated Aya’s offer of another trade, and neither Patchouli nor Koakuma had sucked his dick. Not that he minded—if Aeda had to chose just one he’d pick vaginal sex every time—but it did leave him curious what a youkai blowjob would be like uninterrupted.

As Meiling wrapped her lips around his cock, and swirled her tongue with the same confident strength she’d kissed him with, Aeda knew she was just as good as Aya. Meiling took him deep inside her mouth and bobbed her head up and down. She licked the tip with a broad tongue, and sucked down the flowing pre-cum. Aeda had tried hard to last longer with the other girls, but his practice was no match for Meiling’s expert technique. She had hardly started and already he felt like he was going to cum.

Sensing this, Meiling took his cock out of her mouth, and began to lick up and down the shaft. She cupped his balls with one hand, and rubbed the base of his penis with the other. She took the tip in her wet lips again, and saliva dripped down as she slowly licked it. She took him deep into her throat without the slightest sign of discomfort. Her mouth was so wonderfully warm and wet, her tongue so agile and slippery. Aeda wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible, but with her superhuman skill, and the taste of her pussy still on his lips, it was a futile effort.

“Meiling, that’s so good,” he gasped. She bobbed her head vigorously. “Meiling, I’m gonna cum.” She sucked without hesitation, and kept sucking as Aeda shot a thick load of cum down her throat. She lifted her head and smiled at him.

“Aeda, you taste good,” said Meiling.

“Thank you, Meiling. You were great.”

Meiling got on the bed and hugged him again. “You can put it in me too. I won’t get pregnant—I’m a youkai, so the semen will be absorbed and transmuted to magical energy, you know. Oh, but it’s gone soft.” She started rubbing Aeda’s cock with one hand.

“Let me lick you again,” said Aeda. “That’s guaranteed to get me hard.”

“Yes, please!” said Meiling happily. “Aeda, I love it when you lick me.”

They swapped places again, and Aeda brought his face back down to Meiling’s delicious pussy. He paused, almost touching it, her pubic hair tickling his nose. You love it when I lick you? But, thought Aeda, you didn’t say where… Resisting the temptation to dive right in, he dropped his head to Meiling’s inner thigh and kissed the smooth skin. He slowly licked his way up her leg, feeling the strong muscles under the skin. As he reached her crotch, he just barely touched the tip of his tongue to her pussy lips, then crossed over to lick her other thigh.

“Aeda!” exclaimed Meiling in exasperation.

“Oh, did you mean here?” He moved his tongue to her abdomen and licked, feeling the contours of her muscular abs. They shook beneath him as she laughed. Aeda touched the tip of his tongue to her navel.

“Aeda! You know where!”

In no hurry at all, Aeda licked his way down Meiling’s abs. He kept going, brushing past her pubes, and arrived with his mouth at her pussy. This time round he licked slower. He ate her out like he would Patchouli, keeping his tongue relaxed and sliding it over Meiling’s slippery pussy, with as much care and attention as before. He sped up a little, but he didn’t rush. He wanted to prolong the moment, and from the sounds she was making, Meiling was enjoying herself as much as he was.

By the time he’d brought Meiling to orgasm for a second time, Aeda was rock hard. Meiling shuffled further onto the bed, and lay back with legs spread.

“Aeda, put it in, please.”

Aeda climbed on top of her, and guided his cock to Meiling’s wet opening. He plunged deep inside, slipping easily through her well-lubricated passage. As he thrust, he felt strong muscles massage his cock. Meiling had total control of every part of her body. Her vagina seemed to suck him in, rippling and flexing. The stimulation was so intense he had to stop moving. Meiling pulled him down and kissed him.

Again Aeda regretted his inadequate training. Patchouli was tight, but she didn’t squeeze like this. He started to move again, slowly at first, then with increasing speed. Meiling held him tight, her breasts squashed flat against his chest. Aeda felt her hook her legs around his back. He supported his weight on his elbows and fucked her deeply.

Meiling moved her hips in time with Aeda’s deep thrusts. He fucked her hard and fast, pounding her soaking wet pussy as her muscular body flexed beneath him. He moved with rhythmic strokes, fucking with the same meditative concentration he’d licked her with. The pleasure was too great for him to count.

Aeda held back as best he could, but Meiling’s pussy felt too good for him to last much longer. She squeezed it around him as he penetrated her. He felt his muscles tensing, and gave one last hard thrust before ejaculating deep inside her. He kissed and held her while his penis gradually softened. Aeda dismounted, and lay by Meiling’s side, embracing her.

“Aeda, I had a great time tonight,” said Meiling. “But it must be late now, and I’m a bit sleepy. I said I’d sleep on the floor…”

“It’s okay,” said Aeda. “I don’t mind sharing the bed with you. I’m feeling kind of tired myself. Let’s go to sleep.”

Aeda had never slept in the same bed with anybody before. It wasn’t as big a bed as he had back at the mansion, but Meiling moved to the side and left plenty of space for him. Neither of them had brought night clothes, so they slept naked. Meiling fell asleep quickly, but Aeda stayed awake a little longer, listening to her slow breathing. He’d had a great time too. He felt more and more tired, until at last he could stay awake no longer.

* * * * *

The first thing Aeda noticed was the sunlight in his eyes. Wasn’t the curtain closed? He blinked, and squinted into the glare, but he couldn’t see the curtain at all. And what was that uncomfortable prickling sensation on his skin? Leaves. Nothing but a big pile of dry leaves. He looked down with annoyance. It had to be the tanuki—tanuki and their illusion magic. Aeda stood up and brushed the leaves off himself.

Meiling was still lying there, sleeping peacefully in her leafy bed. Aeda didn’t want to wake her, so he dressed as quietly as he could and went to investigate. The hotel was merely a small abandoned house, in very poor condition. There was no gold or silver, only peeling wallpaper and decaying furniture. He could find no sign of the tanuki or their money.

Aeda returned to the bedroom. The door creaked as he opened it, and Meiling opened her eyes. She turned sleepily toward him. “Is it morning already?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ve already missed breakfast.”

Meiling yawned. “Why am I covered in leaves?” She got up, scattering leaves across the floor as she brushed them off her skin. “It’s those tanuki, isn’t it? They scammed us.”

“I decided it’s a luxury hotel anyway,” said Aeda.

“But everything’s falling apart.”

“It’s a luxury hotel, because I’m sharing it with you, Meiling.”

“Aeda!” Meiling hugged him tight. He pulled a leaf from her hair. “Do we have time for more sex?” she asked. She released Aeda, and looked out the window. “Wah! It’s late! I’m late for work! Aeda, I’m going to have to carry you.”

Meiling dressed with impressive speed, then grabbed Zhenlin. “Aeda, get on my back, and hold on tight. We have to hurry.”

Aeda climbed onto Meiling’s back, and clung fast like a monkey. She dashed out of the house, and sprinted through the trees. It wasn’t flying, but it almost felt like flying. A blur of scenery streamed past him, trees and flowers and rocks reduced to vague impressions. The wind was loud in his ears. No human could sustain this pace.

They joined the stream, and followed it toward the Misty Lake. Aeda caught sight of the mansion in the distance, and Meiling sprinted for her guard hut. Sakuya was waiting for them.

“Aren’t you both supposed to be working?” asked Sakuya sternly.

Meiling bowed low, and Aeda jumped safely to the dry grass. “I’m sorry!” said Meiling. “I won’t be late again!” She ran into the hut, and just before she closed to door she looked back at Aeda. “Come see me later, okay?” Aeda nodded.

Sakuya had opened the gate, and was already walking back to the mansion. Aeda followed her. Patchouli would be wondering where he was. He had his own work to do, but his thoughts were with Meiling. Aeda was very much looking forward to seeing her again. He stepped into the entrance hall and prepared himself for another distracted day at the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if I got any of the Chinese or Japanese language/culture wrong. Any corrections appreciated.


	5. Chapter 7: Standard Diving Mermaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeda visits a neighbor, which isn't so easy when she lives on the bottom of the Misty Lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter 7. I haven't written chapters 5 or 6 yet, but the story is episodic, so I figure people would rather read this now than wait.

“How about these?” asked Aeda. “Weeds or flowers?”

Meiling examined the green shoots growing from the flower bed. “They’re all weeds. Pull them up.”

Aeda tossed them onto the growing pile. It wasn’t really his job, but it was good to be out in the fresh air, and Meiling was always grateful for the help. Gardening was no easy task when you had to guard the front gate at the same time, especially so far away from it in the backyard.

“Good work, Aeda,” said Meiling. “Time for another patrol. I’ll be right back.”

Meiling jogged around the mansion to check for intruders, and Aeda resumed his weeding. He had almost cleared the flower bed when he heard singing.

The tune was unfamiliar, and the lyrics sounded Japanese. Patchouli had talked about sending him to the Human Village for lessons, but as yet nothing had been arranged. All he could tell was that the singer was good. The voice hit the high notes of the flowing melody in perfect pitch.

The singing was coming from beyond the wall, and on that wall was a wooden trellis for supporting flowers. Aeda had seen some with diagonal bars, but here the lattice was horizontal and vertical. It was almost like it was meant for climbing. He put a foot on a horizontal bar and shifted his weight. It was sturdy enough. He climbed up the latticework and peeked over the wall.

Sitting near the shore of the Misty Lake, partly submerged in the water, was a woman in a green kimono. She was singing loudly and clearly, looking out over the water. Was that a pair of hair accessories, or her ears? Aeda had seen many strange ears in Gensokyo, but none with spiky points like hers. They looked like fish fins protruding from her blue hair. She didn’t seem bothered by the water soaking her clothes.

Aeda listened from the top of the wall until the woman reached the end of her song. She turned and spotted him, and froze for a moment with a look of surprise on her face. Then there was a flurry of movement and splashing water. The last Aeda saw of her before she slipped beneath the glittering surface of the lake was the scaly tail of a fish.

“Aeda!” He almost lost his grip on the trellis. Meiling was below, yelling at him. “What are you doing up there? You’re not supposed to climb on that.”

“Oh, sorry,” said Aeda, not really paying attention. He climbed back down. “I heard somebody singing, and wanted to see who it was.”

“It’s Wakasagihime”, said Meiling. “I heard her singing myself. But I’ve never heard her singing so close to the mansion before.”

“You know her?”

“A little. She lives in the lake, so that makes her our neighbor. But she doesn’t socialize much. She seemed shy when I talked to her.”

“Is she a mermaid?” asked Aeda.

“That’s right. She lives underwater,” said Meiling.

“I liked her voice.”

“Yes, she’s a good singer.” Meiling looked down at the flower bed. “Haven’t you finished that weeding? Patchouli will be angry if I keep you too long.”

“It’s nearly done,” said Aeda. The two of them resumed their work, and before long the flower bed contained nothing but flowers. Aeda kissed Meiling briefly, agreed to see her again that evening, and headed back into the mansion. Patchouli would be waiting for him.

* * * * *

The next day, after lunch, Aeda went to check on Meiling as usual.

“I heard Wakasagihime singing again,” said Meiling.

“What was she singing about?”

“It’s hard to hear the words from inside the guard hut, but I thought it was something about a human. Maybe it was about you.”

“You think that’s possible?”

“I think so. You’re kind of famous, you know. It’s unusual for a human to live with youkai. People gossip about you. People are wondering what powers you have.”

“I don’t think I have any,” said Aeda.

“You take everything so calmly,” said Meiling. “Most humans would freak out if they got summoned by a youkai. I can’t imagine anybody in the Human Village living like you do. It’s almost inhuman confidence.”

Aeda had never thought of himself that way. He couldn’t imagine anybody in the Outside World calling him confident either. But, on reflection, his ignorance of the dangers of Gensokyo had been a kind of unintentional bluff. Sakuya was human and she could freeze time. What human would be so nonchalant in the face of danger without similar power? The illusionary confidence had helped him gain real friends and allies, who gave him real protection from danger. The illusion had become reality. What would his acquaintances from the Outside World think of him now?

“Maybe you’re right,” said Aeda. And maybe he could make another friend. “I’d like to meet Wakasagihime. But how? I don’t suppose she has a telephone number?”

“What’s a telephone number?”

“I’ll think of something else.”

* * * * *

Aeda knelt on an outcrop of rock, alone. If Wakasagihime was shy, he didn’t want to scare her away with a crowd. He dipped a finger into the clear water of the lake, and watched the ripples spread across the surface like cartoon sound waves. But a wind was blowing and churning up its own waves on the lake, and Aeda’s imaginary sound waves didn’t travel far. Real sound waves would be different, especially underwater. Stupid idea or not, he had to try it. Gripping the rock, Aeda closed his eyes, lowered his head into the water, and yelled.

“WAAAAAHBHBBHBBB—”

He spat out the water. He could hear something, but not intelligible speech. Was talking underwater even possible? He ran his fingers through his wet hair and thought. The water didn’t touch his vocal chords, so the sound would have to travel from air to water. But water was much denser than air, which meant most of the sound would reflect back instead of entering the water. Perhaps all he could hear was sound waves bouncing about inside his own head.

Aeda tilted his head from side to side to drain the water from his ears. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that shouting directly into the water wasn’t going to work. He walked back to the front gate, squeezing water from his shirt as he went, and returned to the library.

He found Koakuma between the shelves, and called her.

“Hello Aeda,” said Koakuma. “What is it?”

“Hello Koakuma. I was wondering if I could borrow a large bell, or something like that. Something that makes a loud sound when you hit it. A big cooking pot would work.”

“What do you want it for?”

“I just want to say hello to our neighbor. I thought I might signal to attract her attention.”

“The mermaid?” asked Koakuma. “Wakasagi, wasn’t it?”

“Wakasagihime.”

“If she wants to be princess of the lake, she’s welcome to it.”

“Hime” was a Japanese word Aeda did know. “Hime” meant “princess.” Aeda hadn’t heard anything of royalty in Gensokyo, but he thought it best to use her full name and title.

“Why do you want to talk to her?” asked Koakuma.

“Just out of politeness.”

“Do you think she’s cute?”

“I only saw her for a few minutes.”

Koakuma chuckled softly. “I think you do.” She snaked her tail around his leg and pulled him closer. “But she’s all fish from the waist down. You can’t fuck her.”

“Why do you assume I want to?”

“Because you’re a man.” Aeda didn’t have any comeback to that. “But in any case, she’s a princess and you’re a commoner. So nothing’s going to happen.” Koakuma brought her face so close to his that she was almost touching him. “But, Aeda, I’m no princess…”

“Koakuma, just help me out, and I’ll play with you later.”

“I’ll help you call our mermaid neighbor, and as soon as she’s lost interest in you, you’re going to help me test this rope I found. It should be strong enough to tie up a certain youkai, and then you can do lots of fun things to her while she can’t escape.” Koakuma began rubbing her tail against Aeda’s crotch. “Or, we could forget about the fish girl and test the rope now…”

“That’s a tempting offer, but I’d like to try signaling underwater first. I’ll play with you as soon as I have some spare time, okay?”

“It’s cruel to make me wait too long, so don’t you forget it.” She squeezed him with her strong arms, thrust her tongue into his mouth, then let him go. “I’ll ask the maids for a cooking pot.”

* * * * *

The steel cooking pot would have made a respectable witch’s cauldron. It was about three feet across, with a smooth round base, and a handle attached to the rim. Koakuma carried it like it was made of paper. She set it down in front of Aeda.

“You can borrow this one. We only use it for banquets, so there’s no hurry to return it.” She stood smirking at Aeda. “What are you waiting for? Pick it up.”

Even though the metal was only about an eighth of an inch thick, it had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. Aeda could have lifted it easily enough if it had been weights on a barbell, but the bulbous cooking pot was awkward to hold. He lifted it a few inches before setting it down again as he felt his grip slipping.

“Can’t I just roll it?” asked Aeda.

“No,” said Koakuma. “You might scratch it.” Aeda could see many scratches on it already. Koakuma was struggling to keep a straight face. “What’s the matter? It’s too heavy for you?”

“It’s not that heavy,” said Aeda. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was Patchouli, who was unimpressed by feats of strength, but he hated the thought of looking weak in front of Koakuma. He tested the weight again, and decided it was liftable.

Aeda crouched with his back to the cauldron. He reached behind his head to grab the handle, and pulled the cauldron against his shoulders. It wobbled precariously as he stood up, and it was heavy and uncomfortable, but he lifted it. Koakuma was smiling.

“I’ll open the doors for you,” she said.

By the time Aeda was outdoors, he was drenched in sweat. His muscles ached, and his back was sore where the cauldron pressed against his spine.

“A surprisingly strong human,” said Koakuma. She took the cauldron from him and put it down on the garden path. “It won’t really do any harm to roll it. Have fun with your fish princess. I’m going back inside.”

The rest of the journey was easier, but easier didn’t mean easy. The cauldron was hard to control down the slope to the shore, and Aeda was relieved to reach the water without incident. He took his shoes off and rolled up his pants, and pushed the cauldron out onto the lake. It bobbed chaotically, looking as unstable on the water as it had been on his back.

The water was too shallow this close to the shore. It would give a bad first impression to meet Wakasagihime in his underwear, so Aeda decided to keep his clothes on while he waded farther out. His phone would be safe on dry land.

Aeda turned the cauldron upside down, setting it floating with a bubble of air trapped inside. He struck the above-water base of it with a stick of driftwood he’d found. There was a high-pitched bell-like chime. It wasn’t particularly loud, but most of the metal was underwater, so Aeda hoped it sounded louder there. He waited a second, then struck the metal again, then again. Three should be enough. Anybody in the water nearby would hear it.

He dragged the cauldron back to the shore, his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his skin. There was nothing to do now but wait. If Wakasagihime wanted to investigate then she’d investigate, and if she didn’t then further signaling would only annoy her. Aeda waited impatiently.

Aeda was almost ready to go back inside when he saw ripples in the distance. Something was moving close to the surface. He squinted into the glare of the reflected sunlight. Mermaid or fish? A head popped up from the surface. Mermaid.

“Konnichiwa!” called Aeda, greeting her in his best Japanese.

The mermaid dipped under the water again, and swam toward him. She emerged close by. “Konnichiwa!” she called back.

“Do you speak English?” asked Aeda.

“Yes.”

“My name’s Aeda. Are you Princess Wakasagi?”

“I don’t like the way ‘Princess’ sounds in English,” she said, with a strong Japanese accent. “Please call me Wakasagi.” The water formed beads on the surface of her kimono and ran down into the lake.

“I liked your singing,” said Aeda.

“Thank you,” said Wakasagi.

“I thought I should introduce myself, because we’re neighbors. I live in the mansion now. Patchouli summoned me here from the Outside World.”

“I heard about you. Are you really a human?”

“Yes.”

“Living with youkai?”

“Yes.”

“I met a scary shrine maiden human once.”

Reimu, thought Aeda. “I’m not here to fight you,” he said. Wakasagi didn’t look dangerous, but he’d heard stories of mermaids drowning humans. It would be foolish to antagonize her. “I thought we might be friends.”

Wakasagi examined him skeptically. “But you live on the land.”

“I can swim,” said Aeda. He waded back in and began an front crawl along the shore line. The wet clothes didn’t help his technique. Splashing and struggling, he made slow progress.

Wakasagi laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. “I live under the water,” she said. “Would you like to visit?”

Now _that_ sounded dangerous. Aeda looked at Wakasagi with all the confidence he could muster, and replied, “I’d like to, but I can’t breathe underwater.”

“That’s no problem. My house is full of fresh air. How could I read or cook if it was full of water? It’s only 80 feet deep, and it’s enchanted so the air is always good. I can take you there.”

Much too deep, thought Aeda. He’d never dived deeper than the bottom of a swimming pool. And even if he was ignorant of the dangers of Gensokyo, there was a danger here that he did know.

“I think that’s too deep for humans,” said Aeda. “If I go down that far then the pressure will make the air dissolve into my blood, and when I come back up again it will bubble out like I’m opening a can of soda.”

“What’s soda?” asked Wakasagi.

“It’s a sugary drink full of bubbles—like beer. Think of opening a bottle of beer. You have beer in Gensokyo, don’t you?”

“They make it in the Human Village.”

“If bubbles appear inside my body like that then I might die. Have any humans visited your home before?”

“No.”

“I'm not sure humans can go that deep.” Aeda wondered if Wakasagi could fly. But even if she could, he didn’t have the authority to invite guests into the mansion. “I can talk to you here.”

“I’ve never been to the Outside World,” said Wakasagi. “I’d like to hear about it.”

Where to start, thought Aeda. “Hmm…. The biggest difference is the technology. Machines and things. We don’t have magic like in Gensokyo, but we have machines so advanced that they look like magic.” He dried his hands on the grass and picked up the phone. “For example, the cell phone. It’s kind of fragile, and it will break if it gets wet, but I don’t think there’s anything like it in Gensokyo. Patchouli called it ‘Outside World magic’. It does all kinds of things.”

Wakasagi hauled herself onto the shore like a sea lion, and watched as he scrolled through the home screen. “It’s full of little pictures!” she said.

“More than that,” said Aeda. After he’d demonstrated various apps, Wakasagi was thoroughly impressed. She dried her hands on her kimono, and Aeda let her try it. He kept a careful watch, ready to act if she was about to stumble on certain videos, but she was more interested in the games.

“It even has a camera built into it,” said Aeda. He pointed out the lens. “It doesn’t need film and you can see the photo on the screen. Would you like me to photograph you?”

“I’d like that,” she said.

Aeda held the camera up to Wakasagi and took the photo. She was delighted with the result. “It’s in color!” she exclaimed. “How do you get it out of the phone?”

“I’d need more Outside World technology that I don’t have with me. But there’s room for thousands of photos inside the phone, so it can stay there. Or you can make them disappear if you don’t want them. Want to take a photo of us both together?” Aeda turned on the front-facing camera and held the phone out for a selfie.

“Wow! It’s like a mirror!”

Aeda angled the phone to leave a space for Wakasagi, and beckoned her to his side. She leaned against him, putting her head next to his. Aeda put an arm around her. They both smiled as he took the photo.

“It’s a good photo,” said Wakasagi. “Are you going to keep it inside the phone?”

“Yes.”

“If you ever find a way to get them out of the phone, would you take another photo for me to keep?”

“Of course,” said Aeda.

“Thank you!”

“Wakasagi, I’d like to stay longer, but I have work to do inside the library. Patchouli will be wondering where I’ve gone.”

“Please come and see me again. I could easily hear it when you hit the cooking pot, and I’ll come here if I hear it again. And if you ever learn how to live underwater, I’d be happy for you to visit my home.”

“If I find a way, I’ll do just that. I’ll see you later.”

“Good bye, Aeda!” Wakasagi splashed back into the water and swum out of sight. Aeda began rolling the heavy cauldron back to the mansion. He was cold, and his wet clothes stuck to his skin, but, he remembered, they would be coming off soon anyway. Koakuma was waiting for him.

* * * * *

Early next afternoon, Aeda rolled the cauldron to the lake again. His library organization work had paid off, and he’d been able to locate some valuable information. With Wakasagi’s help, and with some items he was carrying in a thick canvas bag, he might be able to visit her underwater home after all. First he needed to call her. He set the cauldron inverted in the water and struck it with the stick as before.

Wakasagi showed up quickly this time. She waved to him as she swam to the shore. “Hi! Aeda!”

“Hello again Wakasagi.”

“Did you bring the phone?” she asked.

“No. There’s something I want to try and I don’t want to risk breaking it. I’ve been reading about how to survive underwater. I found an old book from the Outside World. Remember how I said air might bubble inside my blood and kill me? A long time ago, humans tested it on some unfortunate goats, and discovered how to safely return to the surface. You can go down fast, but you have to come up again slowly, and the more time you spend on the bottom, and the deeper you go, the slower you have to come up. Eighty feet deep, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that 80 feet to the top or to the bottom of the house?” asked Aeda.

“It’s 80 feet to the water at the bottom, where the entrance pool is. I measured it myself. Really it’s 80 shaku. A shaku is a tiny bit smaller than a foot.”

“We’ll call it feet then. And the doors inside are just normal doors?”

“They have carvings on the wood,” said Wakasagi, sounding pleased with herself.

Normal doors then. The important thing was that there were no airlocks inside. The whole habitat would be at the same air pressure, with that pressure determined by the depth at the entrance. “Look at this,” said Aeda. He pulled a small piece of slate from his pocket.

“What is it?” asked Wakasagi.

“My waterproof instructions sheet. Look, I carved instructions into the rock with the point of a knife. It shows the depths I need to wait at, and how long I need to wait, depending on how long I stay on the bottom. And Patchouli gave me this wrist watch, which she assures me is completely waterproof.”

“I see. But I thought humans drowned after a few minutes. How can you hold your breath so long?”

“I can’t hold my breath much longer than two minutes. But, with your help, I won’t need to. See the cauldron floating upside down? There’s air trapped under it, and I can breath that air. It’s a diving bell.”

“I understand,” said Wakasagi. “That’s how I carry books and tea and things home without getting them wet. Is there enough air?”

“It won’t be a problem on the way down, but on the way up there might not be enough. So I’d like you to help me refill it.” Aeda opened the bag and pulled out a smaller cooking pot, about half the diameter of the large cauldron. “Could you collect air from the surface with this?”

Wakasagi took the smaller pot from Aeda. “I’m a strong swimmer. Let me try.” She dived into the water, holding the pot upside down, then returned. “It’s easy!”

“We’ll need some ballast to keep the big pot steady and make it easier to pull to the bottom. I thought we could tie the bag to the handle and fill it with stones. I’ve got a short rope for that.”

Wakasagi looked at the bag, deep in thought. “I think it will work. I’m good at tying knots. You need special knots underwater. Land knots come untied easily.”

That was the first Aeda had heard of it. It reminded him that even with mermaid assistance his plan was dangerous. There were many things that could go wrong, and it was unlikely that he’d thought of all of them. He’d intended to tie things with the same bowline knot Koakuma had taught him, so it was a good thing he had the help of a real underwater expert.

“I’ll rely on your skill,” said Aeda. “There’s another very important rope.” He took a much longer rope from the bag. “We need to tie the big pot to the bottom of the lake somehow, so it floats 20 feet from the surface. And then for the second decompression stop, untie it and tie it again so it floats ten feet from the surface. It’s very important that it doesn’t break free. Is there something solid you can tie the rope to near your home?”

“A long time ago, I found a big ship’s anchor. I wanted to keep it indoors, but it wouldn’t fit through the entrance tunnel, so I left it outside. It’s heavy enough to hold the big pot down.”

“Good. Before we try any of this, I think we should practice in the shallows. Are there any dangerous fish nearby?”

“I haven’t seen any,” said Wakasagi. “But don’t worry, Aeda. I’ll fight any that attack you. My danmaku is strong when I’m underwater. I won’t let them hurt you.”

“Thank you. Let’s swim further out.”

The two of them swam a short distance from the shore, towing the equipment behind them. Wakasagi demonstrated a knot very similar to Aeda’s familiar bowline, but with an extra loop of rope, and used it to tie the bag to the cauldron’s handle. She filled the bag with stones from the bottom of the lake until the cauldron was floating low in the water, upside down and full of air. Aeda swam under and put his head into the air pocket. It was dark inside, and it felt much smaller than it looked from the outside. But he could breathe, and the cauldron seemed stable. He swam out again.

“I can’t descend too quickly or my eardrums will burst,” said Aeda. “So could you pull the cauldron down very slowly at first, and I’ll signal the correct speed to you, like this.” He held out his thumb and turned it like a Roman emperor deciding the fate of a gladiator.

“I can do that,” said Wakasagi.

Aeda returned to the improvised diving bell. He turned his thumb down slightly, and felt the pressure in his ears increase as Wakasagi pushed the cauldron below the surface. He swallowed, feeling the pressure in his ears equalize, like he was in an airplane taking off. He swallowed more rapidly, and pointed his thumb down steeper. They descended until the ballast was resting on the bottom of the lake.

Wakasagi’s face appeared inside the cauldron, upside down. She was bent around the rim, with her tail swimming above it. “There’s nothing to tie to here,” she said. “What shall I do?”

“It’s only about ten feet deep here, so there’s no danger of decompression sickness. It’s safe to take me up again.”

“Okay!”

Aeda swallowed repeatedly as Wakasagi let the cauldron float back to the surface. The two of them went over the plan, checking all the details to be sure they understood exactly what they had to do. All that remained was to swim to Wakasagi’s house and make the descent. Aeda was a little apprehensive, but there could be no better diving partner than a mermaid. Wakasagi could ascend and descend freely, and hold her breath for as long as she liked. Aeda trusted her to keep him safe.

They swam farther out, Wakasagi towing the equipment behind her, and Aeda following. He kept an eye out for dangerous fish, but he saw only small ones that scattered at their approach. It wasn’t long before he spotted an unusual rock formation on the lake bed.

“Not far now,” called Wakasagi back to him. “There’s my house.”

It looked like the top of a sunken mountain, with spurs of rock merging to a central peak. Parts were green with plant growth, and there were round windows set into the rock like ship’s portholes. Aeda could see their shadows passing over it, easily visible through the clear water of the Misty Lake. Between two spurs of rock the loose stones and gravel had been dredged to clear a path to a dark opening into the mountain. There was the anchor, resting against the side of the path. They stopped directly above it.

“I’ll take you down,” said Wakasagi.

Aeda put his head inside the cauldron and signaled her to begin. He looked down at Wakasagi’s home, which was growing closer by the second, and swallowed to relieve the pressure in his ears. He adjusted his position to keep his head above water. He’d started with the cauldron full of air, but as he descended the weight of the water above him compressed the air into a smaller volume. By the time he’d reached the bottom the cauldron was more than half full of water.

Wakasagi tied the cauldron to the anchor, then swam up to put her head next to Aeda’s. “Put your arms around my waist and I’ll tow you inside.” Her voice had a strange ringing tone inside the metal container. Aeda took a deep breath, latched onto Wakasagi’s waist, and held tight as she began to swim.

About 20 seconds later, Wakasagi pulled him out of the water. They were in a moon pool in a round entrance chamber. Wakasagi’s whole house operated on the same principle as the makeshift diving bell. The moon pool, an opening at the lowest point, let people freely swim in and out without letting the air escape. Aeda sniffed the air. Whatever magic Wakasagi maintained it with kept it perfectly clean and breathable. He checked his watch, and memorized the time.

He looked around the entrance chamber. Eight columns of white stone supported a domed ceiling, with a circular window at the top letting in the light. The walls were decorated with tile mosaics showing nautical scenes. There were schools of fish, leaping dolphins, a giant octopus attacking a ship, and bare-breasted mermaids swimming with long hair trailing behind them. The tiled floor sloped gently up from the moon pool to wooden benches against the wall, and between two of the pillars, a door. Just as Wakasagi had said, it was decorated with carvings—twirling fronds of vegetation, like an undersea kelp forest—and Aeda could see light shining from under it.

Wakasagi lifted herself from the water, and then stopped, apparently standing on the surface with her tail. Her kimono seemed to wick the moisture from her skin, and it poured back into the moon pool. She dried her face on the sleeve, then rose into the air, now obviously hovering.

“You can fly?” asked Aeda.

“Look!” She flicked her tail back and forth to dry it, then flew to the top of the dome and back again, her tail undulating like a dolphin’s. “It’s difficult to fly over land, but I get stronger underwater, and we’re underwater now. I can fly easily here.” She flew to a bench by the door. “Come on out of the pool.”

“Uh, my clothes don’t dry like yours,” said Aeda. “I’m going to drip water all over the floor.”

“I don’t mind if you take them off,” said Wakasagi. “And I have towels.” She opened a wooden chest beside the bench, and pulled out a fluffy white bath towel.

Should he just strip completely naked? It was too much, thought Aeda. He’d keep his underpants on. Wakasagi watched with interest as he undressed. She was definitely checking out his crotch. Not that it was particularly impressive—the water was colder than he’d first thought. Aeda spread his wet clothes on a bench and dried himself with the towel.

Wakasagi opened the door, and Aeda followed her through into a Japanese-style room, with a tatami mat floor. It was warmer and brighter than the entrance chamber, with two porthole windows in the ceiling, and blue crystals glowing like lamps on the walls. A low kotatsu table sat in the middle of the floor, with a red glow visible from under the blanket covering it, and there was a book case against one wall.

“You work in Miss Knowledge’s library? Look, I have a library too.” Wakasagi proudly pointed out the book case, which contained about 200 books. “I even have Outside World books. Ah, where are my manners? You are a guest. First I will bring tea. Take a seat.” She pointed to the kotatsu, then left through a door opposite the one they’d come in by.

Aeda lifted the kotatsu’s blanket. There was a large red crystal glowing in a hole in the floor, hot to the touch but not painfully so. He sat on the floor, with his legs under the blanket. It was so warm and comfortable that he didn’t miss his clothes. His underpants were already starting to dry.

A short while later, Wakasagi returned with a teapot and two teacups on a tray. She set them on the kotatsu, then slid her tail in under the blanket next to Aeda’s legs. The tea was a fine gyokuro, grown under shade for a deeper green color and sweeter taste than the more common sencha. Aeda sipped his tea. He saw shadows moving over the kotatsu, and looked up to see fish swimming past the ceiling windows.

“Nice place you have here. If it wasn’t for those fish I might forget it was underwater. But it’s vitally important that I don’t forget, because the longer I stay here, the more air will dissolve into my body. I can’t stay more than an hour.” He checked his watch again. “Wakasagi, do you have a pen and paper I could borrow? I should make a note of the time.”

“Yes, here.” She hovered to the bookcase, and returned with a notebook and fountain pen.

“Thank you.” Aeda wrote down his arrival time. “You know, fountain pens are affected by air pressure too. If I take this up to the surface it will probably leak.”

“It’s a good pen. It never leaks down here,” said Wakasagi.

“It’s possible it won’t. If it’s completely full of ink then there’s no air to expand, so it won’t leak.”

“Let’s take it with us on the way up,” suggested Wakasagi. “It’s almost full, so I think it won’t leak.”

There was a small glass window in the side of the metal barrel. Aeda turned the pen in his hand and saw a bubble pass by the window. The ink was stored directly in the barrel, with no separate ink cartridge, and it was indeed almost full. “We’ll try it,” said Aeda. He finished his tea.

Aeda remembered that Wakasagi had been enthusiastic about the books, and he was curious about them himself. “Which of the books is your favorite?” he asked.

“It’s an Outside World book,” said Wakasagi. She fetched a thin book, and put it on the kotatsu. She read the title out loud: “Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. Første Samling.”

“Hans Christian Andersen,” said Aeda. “I’ve heard of him. And this language is Danish? The first edition?”

“Yes. Can you read it?” asked Wakasagi.

“No. I just recognized the writing. Not many languages use that letter ‘o’ with the line through it. Danish and Norwegian are the only two I can think of, and I’m sure Hans Christian Andersen wasn’t Norwegian.”

“Can you read Norwegian?”

“No.”

“That’s okay,” said Wakasagi. “I don’t have any Norwegian books.” She opened the book near the end. “This book has a story about a mermaid. It’s a sad story, because she falls in love with a human, and she endures great hardships so she can grow legs, but in the end the human marries another human and she turns into an air spirit. You should learn Danish and read it.”

“I already know the story,” said Aeda. He scanned the text. Some words were very similar to English. One caught his eye, and set him thinking. She was “Wakasagihime,” but princess of what? He’d seen no signs of a royal kingdom. And with her personality, it was all too plausible.

“I know why ‘Princess’ sounds wrong in English,” said Aeda. “ ‘Wakasagihime’ should be translated ‘Prindsesser Wakasagi,’ am I right?” 

“Aaaah! How did you know? Are you really a human? Are you reading my mind?”

Because you’re weird enough to name yourself after a character from a fairy story, thought Aeda. “Of course I’m human. It was just a guess, Prindsesser.”

Wakasagi was smiling happily. “Please call me that.”

“Yes, Prindsesser.” It took great effort for Aeda not to laugh. He looked around, searching for another topic of conversation. “I like those glowing crystals,” he said.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they? I find them at the very deepest part of the lake. They glow forever, I think. The red ones are very rare, but I have hundreds of the blue ones. Would you like one?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Come and see my collection,” said Wakasagi. She opened a door in the side wall, and led Aeda into a more Western-styled bedroom. She opened a drawer in a desk by the wall, and the whole room was flooded with blue light. “Please take one.”

Aeda looked at the glowing crystals. There was something strange and unnatural about them, like somebody had cut a hole in his vision and pasted a photo into the empty space. It wasn’t anything he could consciously pin down, but they were undoubtedly magical. Patchouli might be interested. He picked one up.

“That one has a strong aura. Can you feel it?” asked Wakasagi.

“I’m just an ordinary human,” said Aeda. “They do look a bit weird to me, but I don’t feel any aura.” He put the crystal on top of the desk.

“Ah, that’s right. You have so much Outside World magic that I forgot you don’t have any Gensokyo magic.” She closed the drawer. “Hey, Aeda, do you know Miss Imaizumi?”

“Kagerou?”

Wakasagi nodded.

“Yeah, I know her.”

Wakasagi sat on the bed. “We’re part of the grass roots youkai network. We meet up and share information. Imaizumi told me all about you. Is it true that you had sex with her?”

“It’s true.”

“Wow. Sex with a human. Aeda, I’m very interested in humans. I’ve never seen a human close up. Imaizumi was telling me all about men, and I want to see for myself. Aeda, please show me your penis.”

Aeda was surprised by her request. He hesitated for a moment, but he could think of no reason to deny her. “Sure. Look.” He dropped his underpants to the floor.

Wakasagi stared at his crotch. “It’s smaller than Imaizumi said it was,” she complained, her voice full of disappointment.

“It gets bigger,” said Aeda.

“Please make it bigger.”

“I can’t make it bigger on demand. I have to be in the right mood.” The situation was too weird and awkward for him.

“Please get in the right mood.”

Did she have any understanding of humans at all? “Wakasagi,” said Aeda, “It’s not that easy. I’ll need your help.”

“What should I do?”

“You can start by showing me your breasts.”

“Okay!” said Wakasagi cheerfully. She untied the wide blue belt of her kimono, and let it fall to the bed. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her breasts bounced free. They were of medium size, about the same as Koakuma’s. Wakasagi cupped her hands under them. “Do you like them?”

“Very nice,” said Aeda. “Now let me touch them.”

“Okay!”

Aeda sat next to Wakasagi and began groping her breasts. He reached around her back to squeeze one from the other side, and gently rubbed a nipple between thumb and forefinger. “Lie down and let me kiss you.”

Wakasagi flopped back on the bed, with the fins of her tail hanging over the edge, and lay smiling at Aeda. He climbed on top of her and touched his lips to hers. Wakasagi parted her lips, and Aeda gently probed her mouth with his tongue. She began clumsily poking her own tongue into his mouth. Aeda turned his head to get a better angle, and ran his fingers through Wakasagi’s damp hair. He touched one of her scaly ears, which had the same texture as her tail—smooth and dry, more like snakeskin than a slimy fish. She reached for one of his own ears and traced a finger around the edge while they kissed.

Wakasagi sucked her tongue back in and shoved him away with surprising strength. “Hey!” She pointed to his now erect penis.

“What’s the matter?” asked Aeda. He sat up with his legs hanging over the edge of the bed.

“That’s not fair. You made it get big when I wasn’t watching. Make it small again and start over,” demanded Wakasagi.

“I can’t make it get small that easily either.”

“Imaizumi says it gets small after the sperm comes out.”

“Well, yes, that’s true,” admitted Aeda.

“Then make the sperm come out!”

“Maybe you can help me.”

Wakasagi gazed thoughtfully at Aeda’s cock. “Imaizumi said she put it in her mouth, and she sucked out the sperm and ate it. Is that true?”

“Almost true. She didn’t literally suck the sperm out. She sucked the penis gently, and licked it and rubbed it, and that feels really good, and after doing that for some time the sperm comes out on its own.”

“Did she really eat the sperm?”

“Yes.”

“Let me try.” Wakasagi flew off the bed and propped herself up between his legs with her tail stretched out on the floor behind her.

“Careful with your teeth, okay? Humans are fragile, and the penis is a weak point.”

Wakasagi stuck her tongue out and licked the tip of his cock. With a look of concentration on her face, she opened her mouth wide, grabbed his penis with one hand, and took it deep into her warm mouth. Aeda felt the tip bump against the back of her throat.

“Wow, that’s, uh…”

Wakasagi pulled back and let Aeda’s cock bounce away. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No. I was just surprised. Most people can’t take it in that far.” But now that he thought about it, it made sense. With no need to breathe, Wakasagi had no need for a gag reflex. “I think you could be very good at this,” said Aeda. “Put it back in and move it back and forward a bit. That feels good.”

Wakasagi took Aeda’s cock back into her mouth. Her slippery tongue rubbed against its whole length as she sucked it deep inside. She moved back and forth, bringing the tip from her soft lips to so deep in her throat that she was almost swallowing it.

Wakasagi lifted her tail off the ground. Holding Aeda’s hips with a light touch, she levitated her whole lower body into the air. Her tail fluttered near the ceiling as if swimming against an invisible current. Keeping her mouth locked onto his penis, she craned her neck and brought her torso to near vertical. Her blue hair spilled down into Aeda’s lap and obscured his view.

Without breaking her steady bobbing motion, Wakasagi released her hands, and sucked Aeda’s cock while hovering head-down in the air. She slowly turned around it, moving her wet tongue from the bottom side to the top side. Aeda could see her face again, and her freely bouncing breasts. He lay back on the bed, and Wakasagi lowered herself to a more comfortable position. She was flying close to horizontal now, with her tail waving above his head. She flew down and forward, sucking his cock in almost impossibly deep.

“Wow, that’s great. Keep doing that,” said Aeda.

Wakasagi’s breasts jiggled with each movement as she gave him the deepest blowjob he’d ever experienced. She wasn’t doing anything fancy with her tongue or lips, but she didn’t need to. With her precision flight, and her unlimited breath holding, she could suck him like nobody else. Aeda’s hard cock glistened with saliva as she flew back, then disappeared out of sight as she flew forward again. The feeling was uniquely pleasurable. Wakasagi flew faster, breasts swinging rhythmically in the air. Aeda gripped the bed sheets.

“Just a little more….”

Wakasagi’s tail pumped up and down in a jerky motion and her back-and-forth flight accelerated. Aeda couldn't last long with Wakasagi sucking him at this pace. His muscles tensed, and his cock twitched, and Wakasagi pulled back just in time to catch a thick blast of semen on her tongue. She swallowed it, then turned round to lie on the bed next to Aeda.

“It didn’t taste as good as I thought it would,” said Wakasagi.

“With a mouth like yours, you don’t need to taste it at all if you don’t want to,” said Aeda. “But, thank you, Prindsesser. That was really good.”

Wakasagi propped herself up on an elbow and turned to face him. “It gets small now?”

“That’s right.”

Wakasagi poked his penis curiously. “It’s getting small!” she exclaimed. “Now make it big again.”

“I can’t do that immediately. You’ll have to wait a while.”

“Penises are complicated.” She lifted it with thumb and forefinger then let it fall back down. “Hey, Aeda, Imaizumi said you licked her private parts. Is that true?”

It seemed the grass roots youkai network really did tell everything. Aeda wondered what kind of report Kagerou would be getting. “Yeah, it’s true.”

“I wish I had a clitoris,” said Wakasagi.

“If you had one, I’d be happy to lick it.”

“I wish you could. Imaizumi says it feels wonderful. But I don’t want to lose my voice, or feel like I’m walking on knives.”

“I wouldn’t want that to happen to you either. And besides, I don’t think there are sea witches in Gensokyo. Meiling said there’s no sea here, so where would they live? As far as I know, the transformation experts here are the tanuki.”

“Do you think a tanuki would transform me?”

“I don’t know. Some of their magic is illusion magic—just changing the appearance of things without changing how they work, but they must be able to really transform themselves too, because they use tools and wear clothes like humans. I don’t think an animal form tanuki could do that. Maybe they could transform you. They’d probably want payment though.”

“I have money,” said Wakasagi. “Let’s go find a tanuki.”

“Right now?”

“Yes. I want to try having a human body.”

Aeda checked his watch. He hadn’t intended to stay underwater for much longer, and he had nothing urgent to do. He’d be happy to help Wakasagi search for a tanuki, even if he had no great expectation of success. “Let’s go.”

“The dry land is full of danger. Help me put on my suit of water armor.”

“What’s that?”

Wakasagi opened a closet to reveal an old-fashioned diving suit on a sturdy clothes hanger, with its copper helmet and brass breastplate on shelves beside it. The helmet had a round glass window at the front, protected by a metal grille, and two smaller windows to the sides. A fitting for an air hose extended from the back of it. The rubbery orange legs of the suit were joined together, and where the boots would normally fit, they instead flared out to accommodate a tail.

“I found it a few years ago. It’s water armor. You fill it with water so you can be underwater even on dry land. I had to alter it to make it fit.”

Aeda didn’t contradict her. “Can you fly in that thing?”

“It’s easy!”

“Could you carry me?” he asked.

“You can ride on my back and navigate. First help me into the armor. It’s difficult to put it on alone.”

The diving suit was dry. Aeda held it steady while Wakasagi squeezed inside. He tied the laces on the back of the leg section to make it fit snug around her tail. The suit had a thick rubber collar, with 12 metal bolts protruding from it. Wakasagi put the breastplate over her head, and Aeda helped her line it up so the bolts passed through the holes.

“Now,” said Wakasagi, “you put washers here, here, here, and here”—she touched four of the bolts—“and screw the metal bars on.”

Aeda spotted the fastenings on the shelf beside the helmet. He fitted the washers, placed the metal bars on top of them, then screwed the wingnuts onto the bolts to clamp the breastplate firmly against the rubber collar.

“Now the helmet,” said Wakasagi. “It screws on like the shoulder piece.”

The helmet would have been uncomfortably heavy for a human, but Wakasagi had typical youkai strength. Aeda placed it over her head, and aligned it with four bolts on the breastplate. He screwed the helmet in place with the four remaining wingnuts. They were smaller than the first twelve, so it was hard to get them tight. Aeda suspected there was some special tool he was missing, but fingers would have to do. The seal was designed to keep high pressure water out. It would be more than adequate to keep water in while she flew over dry land.

Wakasagi swung the helmet’s front window open so she could talk to Aeda. “Now we go to the entrance hall and fill the armor with water.” She took a small pouch from her desk and tied it to the belt, then flew out of the bedroom. Aeda put his underpants back on, took the pen and the glowing crystal, then followed her to the entrance chamber. He put the rest of his clothes back on, and watched Wakasagi splash about in the moon pool.

Air bubbled out from Wakasagi’s diving suit as it filled with water. She submerged and tilted her head back to let air escape through the front window, then floated with her face just above the surface. “Wait here while I fill the big pot with fresh air,” she said. “Then we ascend as planned, and after that you find me a tanuki.”

“I’ll need to change clothes after we reach the surface. It’s not good for humans to travel in wet clothes.”

“I’ll wait for you.” Wakasagi exhaled a stream of bubbles from her mouth, then sealed the helmet window closed with the suit completely flooded. She swam away down the entrance tunnel.

Aeda checked his watch. He got into the pool himself, but it didn’t feel any warmer. Wakasagi returned with the smaller cooking pot. Working with impressive speed, she filled it with air, turned it upside down, then carried it down the tunnel. Aeda didn’t see a single bubble escape. He checked his watch again—less than 30 seconds for a single load of air. He wouldn’t have long to wait.

Wakasagi made several more trips before returning empty-handed. She pointed to her waist. Aeda took a deep breath and held on to it as before. He kept his face pressed against Wakasagi’s back to keep his head clear of the narrow tunnel. They arrived at the upside-down cauldron, which was full of air. Aeda put his head inside it.

The bag of ballast stones was hanging free in the water below him, tied to the handle of the cauldron. It kept the cauldron steady, but it wasn’t heavy enough to prevent it from floating away. That was the job of the anchor. A section of the long rope ran taut from the handle of the cauldron to the loop in the shank of the anchor, and the excess was coiled neatly on the lake floor.

Wakasagi put more stones into the ballast bag as Aeda watched. With Wakasagi too busy to refill the air, Aeda breathed slowly to conserve it, and he exhaled with his head outside the cauldron to avoid contaminating it with carbon dioxide. Some water flowed in to fill the space left by the exhaled air, but too little to matter at this stage.

Wakasagi added another large stone, and the cauldron began to sink, taking the tension off the anchor rope. She added another, and it sank faster, until the ballast settled on the bottom of the lake. With the ballast holding the cauldron securely in place, it was safe for Wakasagi to adjust the anchor rope.

The thick rubber gloves of her diving suit slowed her down, but Wakasagi was very good with knots. It wasn’t long before she had the rope untied and uncoiled. She found the piece of string that marked a distance of 70 feet from the end, and tied that point to the anchor. She found the ten foot marker, and tied that point to cauldron, leaving 60 feet of loose rope between the cauldron and the anchor. Aeda took hold of the rope near the anchor.

On the way down, the water pressure had compressed the air in the cauldron, reducing its buoyancy. On the way up, the air would expand, but the excess would escape, and the cauldron would remain full of air. Its buoyancy would stay the same. By removing the right quantity of ballast, Wakasagi could make the cauldron float up gently enough for Aeda to control it with the anchor rope.

Wakasagi began to remove ballast stones. Aeda felt the rope pull in his hand. The cauldron was trying to float up, and only his grip was keeping it near the bottom of the lake. He wrapped some of the rope around the handle for more friction. He wanted it to be easy to control, but he didn’t want it sinking again if the air level should unexpectedly decrease. Wakasagi removed another stone. The tension felt about right, so Aeda gave Wakasagi a thumbs up, and began to play out the rope.

Aeda swallowed to equalize the pressure in his ears as the cauldron started to rise, and slowly let out more rope. He continued to exhale outside the cauldron, but there was no need to top off the air yet, because it expanded to fill the space as he ascended.

His ascent stopped with 60 feet of rope stretched tight between the cauldron and the anchor on the bottom of the lake. Aeda had reached his first decompression stop, 20 feet below the surface of the lake. He checked his watch, and his inscribed slate instruction sheet. Ten minutes wait at this depth.

Aeda kicked his legs to get his blood flowing and help the dissolved gases escape from his body. The exercise made him breathe faster, and water began to creep up around his shoulders as he exhaled into the open water. He felt the tension on the rope slacken. But this close to the surface, it was easy for Wakasagi to top off the air. She took the smaller cooking pot to the surface, then swam back to Aeda with air trapped inside. Twenty feet down, the pressure difference was small enough that the smaller cooking pot was still almost full. Wakasagi released the air into the cauldron, and the tension on the rope increased again.

By the light of the blue crystal, Aeda watched the minute hand creep slowly around the watch face. Ten minutes hadn’t looked like much on the table of numbers, but it seemed to drag on forever while he was trapped in his metal bubble. Wakasagi showed up, regular as clockwork, to supply another cooking pot full of air. Aeda rubbed his hands together to get some warmth back into his fingers. It really was cold down here.

Five minutes left. Half way through the first decompression stop. But something was wrong. Where was Wakasagi? She’d been gone over 30 seconds. Why was such a fast and strong swimmer slowing down? Aeda decided to exhale into the cauldron. There was enough air space that it wouldn’t be a problem in the short term, but if he let the cauldron sink it would undo all his hard work.

Forty seconds. Something had to be wrong. He couldn’t see Wakasagi anywhere. He put his head out of the cauldron and opened his eyes in the water. Too blurry to spot her. But then he saw bright flashes of light. Danmaku.

Don’t panic, thought Aeda. Wakasagi was strong underwater. She said she’d protect him. He was far from the shore, so swimming for the surface would risk decompression sickness for nothing. Aeda could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Danger you could run from was one thing. Danger while trapped was quite another.

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Aeda put his head back in the cauldron. He breathed hard, in and out. There wasn’t enough air in here. Or rather, there was too much carbon dioxide. He was suffocating. He was stuck in a tiny metal prison and he couldn’t breathe. To flee would be suicide. There was nothing he could do.

Then Aeda remembered Meiling’s training. He forced his breathing rate down, taking slow deep breaths from his abdomen. He couldn’t possibly have exhaled that much carbon dioxide in such a short time. The air here was a little stuffy at worst, and the feeling of suffocation was all in his head. The danger from the unknown danmaku battle was real enough, but he at least had time to think.

First priority was finding out what was going on. Aeda put his head back in the water and tried to focus his eyes. Was that orange blob in the middle of the swirling blue glow Wakasagi? A large dark shape swam menacingly toward her. Water had higher index of refraction than air, and it was stopping the lenses of his eyes from focusing properly. But, Aeda remembered, you didn’t need lenses to focus light.

Aeda pressed the tips of his index and middle fingers against the tip of his thumb. He made the smallest opening between them he could, and brought it close to his eye. It worked like a pinhole camera. Looking through the opening, the image was dark and distorted, but it was sharp. There was Wakasagi, darting back and forth, shooting streams of glowing projectiles from her rubber gloves. And there, dangerously close to her, was the enemy. Giant catfish.

The cauldron might give him some protection, but if he pulled his body inside he’d displace the air and make it sink. He took another breath, then continued watching the fight through his pinhole finger camera. The restricted field of view made it hard to see what was going on. Then Aeda had a worrying realization. Wakasagi was having the same trouble. She was fighting with restricted visibility because of the diving helmet. The helmet that was completely unnecessary until they reached land. The helmet that was impossible to remove in a hurry.

It was his fault as much as it was hers. He’d helped her put it on. He’d been so interested in the suit that he’d failed to consider if wearing it was a good idea. He watched helplessly as the catfish charged at Wakasagi and knocked her spinning through the water. Danmaku sprayed wide, and the catfish turned for another attack.

It’s killing her, thought Aeda. He had to stop watching to breathe. As quick as he could, he looked out again, and he didn’t even need the pinhole to see that Wakasagi’s attack had faltered. It’s killing her. The mermaid who had only shown him kindness was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. He felt sick.

No. He could distract it. Give her time to remove the helmet. Another breath, quick as he could. Aeda flailed his arms and legs, and pounded the cauldron with his fists. It wasn’t loud enough. He needed something hard. The crystal, in his pocket. He struck it against the cauldron, and it rang with a loud clear tone. Another breath. Another look through the finger pinhole. The catfish had turned on him.

Hands numb with cold, Aeda struggled with the knot holding up the ballast. He found the right loop to pull, and the knot came loose. The ballast sunk to the bottom. Aeda pulled his legs up as far as he could. Great bubbles of air spilled from the cauldron, but it didn’t sink.

The catfish slammed into the cauldron, setting it rocking with a mighty crash. Only the 60 feet of anchor rope kept it from turning over and losing the remaining air. Aeda couldn’t afford to lose any more, even with the ballast gone. So much air had escaped that the cauldron was in danger of sinking. Blue light flashed beneath him. Wakasagi was alive, but where was the catfish? The cauldron rocked again as it swam close.

Sorry Wakasagi, thought Aeda. We’re not going to find out if the pen leaks on the surface. He laughed bitterly to himself. Why even think about that in a time of crisis? He thrust the pen nib down into the water and unscrewed the barrel. Like an escaping squid, it spewed a cloud of black ink into the water. Aeda kicked his legs to spread the ink, and at the same time dropped the glowing crystal as a decoy.

The black ink cloud grew in the water. Aeda could see nothing but vague flashes of light. He hoped that meant the catfish couldn’t see him. There wasn’t much air left in the cauldron. It was too dark to read the watch. All he could do now was trust Wakasagi.

Aeda almost put his head out to exhale. He stopped himself and exhaled inside the cauldron. Drowning killed you faster than carbon dioxide poisoning, and exhaled air still contained oxygen. If he rebreathed it he’d survive longer. A diving rebreather used chemicals to absorb the carbon dioxide, and restored the oxygen level with an oxygen tank. Aeda would have to fight the feeling of suffocation with willpower alone, and conserve oxygen as best he could.

Again he remembered Meiling’s training. Sit like your hair is on fire. More like float while your lungs are on fire. The urge to flee for the surface was growing, but he had to resist as long as possible. Even if he could swim the 20 feet, even if decompression sickness didn’t incapacitate him, he’d be a sitting duck on the surface. In this cauldron, in this dark pot of nightmares, he had at least some protection.

His heart was beating too fast. Wasting oxygen. Meditation was hard enough when the only distraction was flashes of bare leg. But he had to relax, to fight the instincts screaming at him to ascend. He wasn’t drowning. He’d recite the digits of pi again, check he could still think. It started with three, didn’t it? It would almost be funny if it didn’t hurt so much. He breathed as fast as he could, face pressed against the cold metal. It didn’t get any better. Emergency ascent, that’s what they called it. Where was the surface?

And then a bubble of sweet fresh air hit Aeda’s face. He inhaled, gasping great lungfuls in relief as the pain subsided. Wakasagi must have won, and only just in time. Aeda wasn’t sure he’d have made it to the surface. Another bubble of air flooded into the cauldron, and the carbon dioxide was further diluted. Wakasagi swam for the surface again, her strong tail dispersing the ink cloud. She brought cooking pot after cooking pot of air down until the large cauldron was full again. The air still felt stuffy, but Aeda was no longer suffocating.

Wakasagi brought her head up inside the cauldron beside Aeda. She wasn’t wearing the helmet. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

“I don’t think so. Are you?”

“I might have some bruises. Nothing serious. Youkai are tougher than humans. But Aeda, thank you so much. Without your distraction it could have been much worse.” Wakasagi kissed him, then pulled away suddenly. “Your lips are freezing! Are you sure you’re okay?”

The danger wasn’t over yet. In all the excitement, Aeda hadn’t noticed how cold he was getting. Water conducted body heat away faster than air, and his extremities were already noticeably chilled. He wasn’t sure he’d make it through another 20 minutes of decompression. But it was too late to find an insulated wet-suit now. He had no choice but to rely on Wakasagi again.

“I underestimated how cold I’d get down here. It’s not serious yet, but it might be soon.” The blue crystal worked underwater, so presumably the red one would too. “Could you bring the red heating crystal here?”

“Of course.” Wakasagi sounded worried. “I’ll get it right away.”

She swam away at high speed, then returned with the crystal. Aeda held it against his chest, and pulled his knees up to get more warmth into his legs. He couldn’t easily move out of the cauldron to exhale while he was warming himself this way, but he didn’t worry about it. Wakasagi was already on the way to the surface for more air. She’d keep the carbon dioxide diluted enough.

Wakasagi continued to supply fresh air while warmth flowed into Aeda’s body from the crystal. He straightened his legs to read his watch by its light. He’d exceeded his ten minute decompression stop, but this close to the surface he didn’t think it would make any difference.

The final decompression stop went smoothly. Wakasagi retrieved the ballast from the bottom of the lake, and adjusted the anchor rope to stop ten feet below the surface. Aeda held the red crystal inside his shirt and kicked his legs like before. Wakasagi fetched air, and occasionally put her head inside the cauldron to check up on him. There was no sign of any dangerous fish.

Twenty minutes later, Wakasagi guided the cauldron up to the surface. Aeda was happy to be above water again. He floated and thought to himself while Wakasagi retrieved the dropped items from the bottom of the lake. It was the closest he’d come to dying, and it was the result of a bad decision. Helping Wakasagi with the helmet, underestimating the cold—those had been mistakes, but not the root cause of the near-catastrophe. Aeda realized now that his biggest failure was that he hadn’t asked Patchouli for more help. In hindsight, an untrained human diving with improvised equipment was the height of stupidity. But Patchouli knew water element magic. She’d have a better solution. Aeda’s power was the friends and allies he’d made, and neglecting them had almost cost him his life.

Wakasagi splashed to the surface next to him. Aeda hugged her tight, not caring about the bolts of her diving suit digging into his chest. “Prindsesser,” he said. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“You saved mine! That fish nearly ate me!” She kissed him again, her tail pumping back and forth to keep their heads above water. “And Aeda, if you’re going to call me ‘Prindsesser’, I’m going to call you ‘Prinds’.”

“Prince?” asked Aeda.

“You do speak Danish!” said Wakasagi happily.

“It was just a guess,” admitted Aeda. They swam back to shore together.

Safely back on dry land, Aeda had some things to say to Wakasagi. “Prindsesser, I’ll help you search for a tanuki, but I going to ask some friends for advice first. I don’t really know where to find one, and if we rush ahead carelessly then we could end up in all sorts of trouble.”

“You are a wise prince,” said Wakasagi admiringly.

“I’m going inside and changing into dry clothes first. I can’t guarantee we’ll search for tanuki today. But I’m going to talk to Patchouli, and Meiling, and then decide what to do. I’ll leave the cauldron here so I can signal to you when I return.”

“I’ll wait for you!”

As Aeda returned to the front gate, he could hear Wakasagi singing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Danish dictionary says "prins", but Andersen wrote "Prinds". I assume it's an archaic spelling.


	6. Return of the Tengu (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aya decides it's been too long since Aeda gave her oral, and takes him on an irresponsibly high speed flight up the Youkai Mountain to have some fun with him.

Aeda was hard at work in the library when he heard the sound. Rattle. Clatter clatter. Marisa up to her old breaking-and-entering routine? The window shutter was shaking in its frame. But even if she’d forgotten the front door, Marisa could get the window open in seconds, and the noise wasn’t stopping.

He tried his best to ignore it. He was sure he’d seen another Chinese book nearby. The cart was piled high with them, waiting for Meiling’s help with classification. Somebody else is breaking in, thought Aeda, and Meiling must be on her way to catch them. But the noise continued, and Aeda’s puzzlement increased. It wasn’t like Meiling to be so slow. Even if she’d been napping on the job, she’d be up and after the intruder by now. Maybe there was no intruder at all.

Aeda listened carefully. It didn’t sound so much like somebody trying to get in as like wind blowing against the window. But why only one of them? Overcome with curiosity, he dragged the step-ladder to the window, climbed up, and cautiously touched the glass. Holding the ladder tight, he opened the window a fraction of an inch. The wind howled through the crack, and he slammed it shut again.

“Aeda!” Patchouli’s voice echoed through the library. “What’s that awful noise?”

He hurried back down the ladder and through the stacks to find her. Patchouli was sitting in her favorite armchair, with a book in her lap, and a look of irritation on her face. “Aeda, I’m trying to read. Stop that racket at once.”

No natural weather pattern could rattle just one window. It had to be magic, and that was outside his expertise. “Patchouli, I don’t think it’s ordinary weather. There’s wind blowing hard against a single window. It’s noisy even when it’s closed.”

Patchouli looked up from her book and frowned. “It’s that damn tengu again. I’m sure of it. She left you a message in her newspaper, didn’t she? Did you reply?”

“Well, no. I’ve been busy lately, and I was waiting for windy weather, but I didn’t hear any.”

“I can hear it now. Aeda, it’s your fault for giving her oral sex in the first place. She’s probably going to shake my window until you come out and lick her some more.” Patchouli squeezed her soft thighs together and blushed. “It’s understandable, of course, because—no! Aeda, I forbid you from making me think that. I am reading, and I will not be stopped, not by tengu nor by human.”

“So what should I do?”

“First, make her stop that accursed noise. Second, make her promise not to do it again. Third, return before it gets dark. Forth, and this is the most important requirement, you are absolutely forbidden from getting yourself killed. Other than that, do whatever you see fit.”

“I’ll try my best to solve your tengu problem,” said Aeda.

“Good. Thank you, Aeda. The sooner you get going the sooner I’ll be able to read in peace.”

So it’s the afternoon off work, thought Aeda, and oral sex with Aya? He had no complaints.

* * * * *

Before long, Aeda was outside the front door. He stood in the midday sun, listening for the unnatural sound of wind at the library window. He heard nothing but silence. But no sooner had he decided that it had stopped, a new roar of wind began, and dust and leaves twirled in a whirlwind on the path before him. The spinning debris moved like it was alive, creeping slowly nearer. It came close enough to set Aeda’s clothes fluttering before it headed back toward the gate.

Aeda followed, feeling some annoyance. If it was Aya, why couldn’t she ask Meiling to send for him? The whirling vortex of air looked too small to put him at risk of breaking Patchouli’s forth order, but high speed gravel in the eye would be no fun. He kept a safe distance while it moved down the path and passed through the bars of the gate.

Aeda opened the gate to see the whirlwind stationary, flattening a circle in the grass near Meiling’s hut. Meiling stepped outside. The wind was making such a noise that Aeda almost missed her shouted greeting.

“Hi! Aeda! What’s going on?”

“Aya the tengu, I think,” said Aeda, moving closer to Meiling. “Let’s find out.” He turned back to the spinning column of dust and leaves, and shouted at it, “Aya! Rematch!”

The wind abruptly stopped. The leaves fell back to the ground, and the dust settled. The silence seemed as unnatural as the wind. Aeda looked to the sky, searching for any sign of Aya. Directly above him was a tiny black dot, too high to make out any detail. It slowly circled, like an eagle who’d spotted a rabbit, then it stopped, and seemed to grow bigger, slowly at first, and then faster and faster.

Aya landed dead center in the circle of flattened grass, her short black skirt flaring out as she touched down. She was wearing her tasseled red hat, her tall red shoes, and a white shirt with an orange maple leaf design on one side. Meiling stepped forward protectively, putting herself between Aeda and Aya, and raised her hands in a fighting stance.

“Meiling, relax,” said Aeda. “It’s just Aya. She’d a friend.”

“I know Aya,” said Meiling. She spoke harshly to her in Japanese.

“I’m not here to deliver newspapers,” said Aya, entirely unconcerned by Meiling’s interruption. She was carrying a large black bundle, which she unrolled as Aeda watched.

“Motorcycle leathers?” he asked. “And a helmet?”

“You know them?” asked Aya. “It’s an Outside World thing, so I suppose you would. I borrowed them from the Myouren temple specially for you, Aeda.” She handed him the black leather suit. “See, Meiling, I’m going to take good care of your mistress’s human. He won’t come to any harm in these.”

Aeda hadn’t heard of the Myouren temple, but the motorcycle equipment looked perfect normal. “And why exactly do I need them?” asked Aeda.

“Blame Meiling,” said Aya. “Unless she’s changed her mind and will let me inside.”

“Forbidden!” said Meiling.

“So, you see, I’m going to have to take you back to my office on the mountain. I borrowed Byakuren’s leather suit and helmet to help you survive the flight.”

Meiling took hold of Aeda’s arm. “Wait! You’re not stealing Aeda!”

“I’ll bring him back when I’m done with him. I’m not trying to start a war here. Aeda, what do you say?”

“Meiling, I don’t think Aya’s a bad person. Patchouli didn’t seem worried about her. And Aya, you’ll bring me back before sundown, won’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So there’s no problem.”

“I’ll be mad at you if you hurt him,” said Meiling.

Aeda turned and hugged her. “Meiling, my lovely Chinese dragon, I’m happy you feel that way, but really there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll see you this evening, okay?”

“Okay.”

Aya flapped her wings impatiently and set the grass blowing. “Put the suit on,” said Aya. “You can wear it over your clothes. Hurry up. We’re going for a high speed flight.”

Aeda zipped the suit closed. It was loose around the chest, but other than that it wasn’t a bad fit. He put on the helmet, with the visor up.

“Aeda,” said Aya, “I heard that humans build big machines in the Outside World called ‘roller coasters’. They’re fun, aren’t they?”

Aeda liked roller coasters, so against his better judgment, he agreed. “Yeah, they’re fun.”

“Close the helmet,” said Aya. She stepped behind him.

Aeda snapped the visor shut, and felt Aya’s strong arms around his chest. She began to flap her wings, then lifted her legs from the ground and locked them around his waist. She pulled her arms up under his armpits and held onto the helmet. With her human passenger secured, Aya took to the sky.

Aeda’s stomach lurched as Aya accelerated upward. He tensed his neck against the g-force and watched the ground shrink away from him. He could see the whole mansion, with Meiling an ant-like speck by the front gate. The helmet and leathers kept the roar of the wind down, but this was a more violent flight than anything with Patchouli or Koakuma.

Before Aeda had time to think, Aya swept her wings forward around his torso. He felt a few terrifying seconds of weightlessness as they dropped back down, then a rush of deceleration. Aya angled her wings to transfer their momentum from vertical to horizontal, and they reached level flight mere feet from the ground. The walls of the mansion blurred past as Aya circled it, banking hard into the turns.

After a quick circuit of the mansion, Aya headed for the lake. They shot head-first into a cloud of fog, and moisture condensed on Aeda’s visor, obscuring his vision. Aya pulled up again, going vertical, then beyond vertical as they turned over the top of a loop. Aeda blinked against the bright sunlight as his visor cleared. He felt a horrible falling sensation as Aya pulled him head down back to the lake.

Roller coasters were fun. You knew where a roller coaster was going. A roller coaster stayed on its tracks and didn’t send you spinning through an unexpected corkscrew turn. As they plummeted toward the lake, the pair spun so fast that Aeda felt like his insides were being scrambled. Surely his neck would have snapped if Aya hadn’t held onto the helmet. He felt dizzy, and his vision faded to gray as Aya pulled him through another loop. He had barely time to recover before she began a long sequence of loops and turns, their motion erratic and disorientating.

Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Aya settled into a smooth flight over the surface of the water. His feet were unsupported but they were flying so fast that the air pressure kept them stretched out behind him. Beyond the drifting banks of mist, he could see the tree-covered Youkai Mountain.

The trees were approaching fast, but Aeda felt no deceleration. Aya descended below the tree canopy and swerved between the tree trunks. She dodged with as much agility as when he and Koakuma had chased her, twisting and turning and slipping through gaps with inches to spare.

Aeda didn’t recognize their location. One tree looks very much like another at two hundred miles per hour. He had once read of somebody who had won a competition playing a computer racing game and tried it for real. The winner could drive the real car pretty fast, but his body wasn’t used to the forces involved. A speeding tengu was much the same—it took all Aeda’s strength to keep his limbs and his lungs steady. Doing nothing required a surprising level of athleticism.

The forest grew less dense as Aya ascended the mountain. She slowed and approached a single-story building on a rocky plateau, and hovered to a halt in front of the door. Without setting foot on the ground, she twisted her body to support Aeda with a single arm, and opened the door. She flew inside and set him face down on the floor.

Aeda groaned softly to himself. So much for the notion that he was immune to motion sickness. It had never troubled him in the Outside World, but the Outside World was notably lacking in overly enthusiastic tengu. His vestibular system had its limits after all. Muscles aching, stomach churning, Aeda dragged himself to a vaguely upright position and removed the helmet with shaky hands. He was in an entrance hall with framed newspaper front pages decorating the walls, wooden chairs, and more newspapers piled up around the room. Aya closed the door and glared down at him. “Don’t you dare vomit.”

Aeda lay back on the floor and took a deep breath. “Do I look that bad?”

“I’m disappointed, Aeda. I specifically checked how much acceleration an Outside World human can take. You’re supposed to tolerate up to nine times the acceleration due to gravity, and I kept well below that.”

“Who told you that?”

“Nobody told me. It was in a book I found in Rinnosuke’s shop.” Aeda wished Aya wouldn’t keep talking about strangers like he was supposed to know them, but he was too nauseous to protest. “It was about these marvelous machines called ‘fighter jets.’ They’re a whole lot better than Byakuren’s bike. Somebody should build me one.”

“I think those humans had a lot more practice,” said Aeda.

“Get up and come into my photography studio,” said Aya cheerfully. “I’ll make you feel better. I said I’d go first, didn’t I?”

All Aeda could think was that Meiling gave incredible blowjobs too, and Meiling didn’t fling him about like a leaf in a hurricane. If only he’d stayed home. But he’d already survived the journey, so it made no sense to waste it. Aya removed her shoes, picked up the helmet, and unlocked a heavy wooden door. Aeda took off his own shoes and staggered after her, out of the entrance hall, and into a bright and spacious room with large skylight windows.

In the photography studio was a low wooden table, a comfortable looking armchair that reminded him of Patchouli’s, and shelves on the wall, crammed with a bewildering assortment of photography gear. There were tripods, cameras, lenses, lens filters, rolls of film, flash bulbs, reflective panels, light diffusers, and mysterious gadgets of unknown purpose. Aya locked the door while he examined the equipment.

“Sit down,” said Aya, putting the helmet on a shelf next to a a long zoom lens. He collapsed into the chair, and Aya leaned over to unzip the leather suit. “You’d better take that off.” Aeda halfheartedly repositioned himself as Aya tugged at the leather until it was off and folded on the table. She unzipped his pants, and pulled out his flaccid penis. Straight to the point, thought Aeda.

“Do you want to time me?” asked Aya.

Oh. The competition. Aya’s excuse for bringing him here. It hardly mattered now. “I don’t think you need to. Let’s say this is just for fun. I’ll return the favor either way.”

“That’s fine by me,” said Aya. “I can make it interesting.” She knelt before him, leaned forward, and slurped her warm, wet tongue over Aeda's cock. She took the head between her lips, and despite his misgivings, he began to grow hard as she swirled her tongue over it. Okay, thought Aeda, perhaps a blowjob is a cure for motion sickness after all. Aya looked up at him while she sucked. By the time he was fully erect he was feeling much better.

Aya moved in for a better angle, spreading her wings to balance. She bobbed her head up and down, sliding her soft lips over his cock. She wrapped a hand around the base and firmly stroked it as she sucked. Her mouth was wet and slippery with saliva.

She adjusted her position to take Aeda’s cock deeper into her mouth. He could see her bright red hat bobbing over his crotch, and her pointed ears poking through her dark hair. Aya moved skillfully, licking and sucking without letting her teeth touch him. Her tongue danced over his cock with speed and precision, as brain-scrambling as her aerobatic flight.

She increased the pressure, and slurped noisily on his erection. Aeda’s abdominal muscles tensed, still sore from the flight. He clenched the arms of the chair as Aya’s wet tongue raked the tip of his cock. Her flawless technique was beyond anything he could imagine from a human.

“Mmm, Aya, that’s good.” Aeda could even accept their chaotic arrival flight as a good thing, because the initial discomfort helped him prolong the pleasure. He didn’t think Aya had meant it maliciously, and in any case it was hard to feel ill will toward somebody vigorously slurping on his cock. He leaned back and closed his eyes, enjoying the incredible blowjob.

Aya kept sucking, working her tongue against his cock. He felt it twitch, deep in her mouth, which by now was a sloppy mess of saliva and pre-cum. He hardly noticed the aching sensation in his abs as they tensed again.

“Uh, Aya, that’s it,” mumbled Aeda.

She sucked his cock in deeper, her soft lips squeezed around the shaft, and moved her tongue so fast it was practically vibrating. Aeda gripped the chair as his cock twitched and pumped a flood of semen into Aya’s mouth. She eased off her movement as the last spurts of cum filled her mouth, then pulled away and stood up. She looked down at Aeda and swallowed.

“How was that?” she asked.

“Really good. You’re better than any human I’ve been with.” No need to tell her how limited his experience with humans was.

“Naturally,” said Aya smugly.

Aeda zipped his pants back up while Aya unfastened her skirt and set it next to the motorcycle helmet. She casually removed her white panties, and stood bottomless beside him, her long dark pubic hair hiding her pussy.

“Aeda, did you bring your camera?” she asked.

“You mean the phone? Yeah, I brought it.” He took it out of his pocket.

“There’s an English saying that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ isn’t there?”

“That’s right.”

“So logically, a moving picture is worth a thousand still photographs. And you’ve got a moving picture of me, but I don’t have any photographs of you.”

Ten seconds, thought Aeda, at 30 frames per second. “That one’s only about three hundred pictures.” The words escaped his mouth before he realized Aya’s claim was not logical at all.

“Twenty four is enough,” said Aya. “I’ll shoot a roll of you giving me oral.”

“Uh…”

“I’ll print copies for you. Aeda, you have that moving picture of me, so you shouldn’t complain.”

He had a backup copy on the laptop too. With the video as insurance, what harm could it do? Aeda wanted to see her analog photography in action, and maybe she would masturbate to the photos later, which was a flattering thought.

“Who will you show them to?” he asked.

“Maybe a few friends. It’s not like I’m going to publish them. I’ll be in the photographs too and people will know it’s me.”

“Fine. Take the photos.”

“I knew you’d be reasonable about it,” said Aya happily. “But give me a quick lick first. Show me why you’re here.”

With a flutter of wings, Aya lifted both feet off the ground. She stopped level with Aeda’s head, spread her legs, then flew toward him. She hooked her feet over the back of the chair and pulled her crotch against his face. The smell was as he remembered, mild yet pleasant, and her pubic hair tickled his nose. Aya grasped his head and brought her pussy to his mouth. Immediately he began to lick.

“You’re good at this, for a human,” said Aya. Aeda licked steadily, breathing through Aya’s pubes. “Mmmm… I’m jealous of Patchouli… Aeda, I’d ask you to work for me instead if I thought I could get away with it. The higher ups don’t allow humans around here.” Aeda playfully thrust his tongue into her opening, then licked upward, eliciting a gasp from Aya. “Ah— Aeda, before I get too much into this…”

Aya dismounted Aeda’s face and landed standing on the floor. She began to gather photography equipment, not actually flying, but moving with speed beyond that of her bare legs. Gusts of wind buffeted Aeda as she controlled her momentum with her wings. It reminded him not so much of a crow, but of a sparrow flitting from branch to branch. Was she more excited about getting head, or about getting a chance to photograph it?

Aya mumbled to herself in Japanese as she screwed a bulky camera to a tripod. She turned back to Aeda and asked, “Hey, Aeda, can Patchouli do this?” She grabbed her right ankle and pulled, stretching her leg above her head like a ballet dancer.

“I very much doubt it,” said Aeda. 

Aya stood balanced on one leg, looking pleased with herself. Aeda’s gaze wandered downward, and Aya didn’t waste any time. “Aeda, lick my pussy.”

He crouched on the floor, brushed aside her pubes, and extended his tongue. He moved in tentatively, worried about knocking her over, but her balance felt sold as he made contact.

“Move a bit to the side. Just for the photograph—you can eat me out properly later. I want your tongue to show up.” Aeda followed her instructions. “Good, good. Put your hand on my hip. Raise you chin a little. Get your tongue right in there. Now stay where you are.”

She hopped away from him, and picked up a small metal gadget from the shelf. “What’s that?” asked Aeda.

“Self timer.” She showed him the dial, then screwed the device to the shutter release of the camera. She checked the camera’s viewfinder, adjusted a large white panel to better reflect the sunlight streaming through the windows, then wound the dial with her thumb. Aeya heard the click of the button as she activated it, then the dial counting down with a soft whir of clockwork.

Aya dashed back to position, resuming her pose with her foot held high and Aeda’s tongue on her pussy. He stretched his tongue as far as it would go and waited for the camera. Seconds later, the timer reached zero and the camera shutter clunked. Aya hurried back to the camera.

“Did it work?” asked Aeda.

“We won’t know until I develop it,” said Aya. “Twenty three more to go. Stay where you are. We’ll try the same pose but with both my legs up this time.”

It seemed Aya was serious about shooting the entire roll. The photography session dragged on, with each shot taking at least a minute to set up. Aya hovering with both feet in the air. Aya sitting on his face as he lay on the floor. Aya on his face again, from a different angle. Again, with Aya holding the camera by hand. Aya in the chair as he knelt between her thighs. In the chair again with her feet clamped behind his head. Aya leaning against the wall, a foot on his back. A close up of his tongue almost touching her pussy, and a string of vaginal fluids stretching between them. Another attempt at the shot with different lighting, then another. After some protest, Aeda dangling upside down from Aya’s strong hands, licking her pussy as she stood upright. A back view of Aya with her wings spread dramatically, and Aya kneeling in front of her. Aya on her back on the floor, her knees raised and Aeda between her thighs. Aya on her back on the table. A one-sided sixty-nine position, with Aeda’s pants still on. A series of four close-ups of his tongue on her clit, each with a different lens. Aya squatting on a wooden stool retrieved from the next room, and Aeda arching his back to lay his head under her. Again, with Aya wearing her red shoes, in what seemed to Aeda a perilously unstable position. Back to the armchair for another shot of him kneeling between her legs.

The self timer clicked once more and the shutter opened. Aeda stood up and licked his lips. Aya had been getting more and more excited as the photography session went on. This time she didn’t spring to her feet, but remained in the chair with her legs spread. Her pussy glistened with moisture, and the pointed tips of her ears were tinged pink.

“One more left,” said Aeda.

“You set it up,” said Aya. Her hand drifted down to her pussy, then abruptly jerked away. “Get the pneumatic shutter release. Looks like a rubber ball with a hose attached.”

Aeda scanned the shelves. He found it quickly, a black rubber ball with about ten feet of thin tubing attached to it, and a metal fastening with a screw thread on the end. He squeezed the bulb and watched a plunger extend from the fastening. He might have mistaken the device for a sex toy if Aya hadn’t called it by its real name, although now that he thought about it, wasn’t it a sex toy too?

“Unscrew the self timer and replace it with the pneumatic release.”

Aeda followed her instructions. He looked through the camera’s viewfinder to see Aya with her legs over the arms of the chair and her wet pussy spread wide. “Be sure my face is in frame,” called Aya. He made a slight adjustment to the tripod. “Now pass me the pneumatic release.” He handed her the rubber ball end, and she held it loosely with her arm draped over the chair.

“Now get on the floor, and don’t stop licking until you hear the camera.”

Aeda obeyed. This time it wasn’t some carefully posed shot. No need to worry about arranging her pubic hair artistically, or holding his tongue at the right angle for the camera. All the camera could see was the back of his head and an increasingly aroused tengu.

Aya inhaled sharply as he ran his tongue over her pussy. “Lick me like you did in the forest, Aeda.” He licked up and down, feeling the growing wetness spread over his chin. You’re going to stain the chair, thought Aeda. But that was no concern of his, and judging by her moans of pleasure, no concern of Aya’s either. He kept licking.

“Harder,” gasped Aya. “Lick my clit.”

He dragged his tongue across the swollen nub, and Aya responded with a louder moan. He wrapped his lips around her clit and lapped at it with a fast rhythm. All his practice with Patchouli and the others had given him great tongue endurance, so he continued his energetic licking with no discomfort. If Aya liked it hard he wasn’t going to disappoint her.

Before long, Aeda felt her body shake, and heard her wings flap against the chair, but he heard nothing from the camera. He grabbed Aya’s hips and held tight as he blasted her clit with his tongue. A load moan masked any possible camera noise, and the flood of moisture on his face left him in no doubt that the chair was soaked. He let his licking slow as Aya writhed, then felt her hands pushing him away.

He lifted his mouth from her pussy and looked up at her. Aya was sitting back in the chair, breathing heavily, and gazing up at the skylight. She looked down at him and a smile spread across her face.

“Aeda… I want to keep you. You’re a good human.”

A strange compliment, but he felt happy to hear it none the less. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand before he spoke. “I don’t think Patchouli would be happy with that.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can’t keep a human here anyway.”

The thought of Patchouli reminded Aeda of the reason for his visit. “I was supposed to ask you not to rattle the library window. I’d be happy to hook up with you every now and then, but please leave a message at the front gate next time. Patchouli will be mad if you disturb her reading.”

“I’m surprised she gets any reading done with such a talented human nearby. If I were Patchouli I’d have you eat me out all day long.”

“That’s not far from the truth.”

“Damn, I really am jealous of her. Aeda, you’re making me horny again. Want another blowjob?”

“Let’s check out the photos first. And you’re not getting any more oral until you promise you won’t rattle the library windows again.”

Aya got up from the chair. “I promise I won’t rattle the library windows.” She unscrewed the camera from the tripod. “I’ll show you how fast I can develop these. The first step is a Bunbunmaru News trade secret, so go wash your face while I mix the developer.” She pointed to a door in the far wall, then put her skirt back on and left through a door in the opposite wall.

Aeda entered a small bathroom, where he washed his hands and face. There was a damp spot on his collar, but he didn’t think anybody would notice. He dried himself and left to find Aya. He passed through the photography studio into a cramped and cluttered office, where he heard her calling him. “Aeda, hurry up.”

Aya was in a windowless room next to the office. A long metal workbench ran around the perimeter, with drawers under it, and a built-in sink. It was almost as cluttered as the office, with tanks of mysterious liquids, boxes covered in black paint, and an assortment of lenses and other strange devices. On the walls were shelves stacked with brown glass bottles and jars, all labeled in Japanese, and sheets of paper covered with numbers. The air smelled faintly of vinegar, and a strange looking lamp on the ceiling lit the room with a deep red glow. Aeda spotted a light switch.

“You’ve got electricity here?” he asked.

“We tengu have had electricity for years.” She pulled the door closed, and the room took on a eerie cast as all light from outside was shut out. “It’s the same film as last time,” said Aya. “I can process panchromatic too, but it takes longer when you can’t see what you’re doing. And for color film I have to send it to the lab inside the mountain.”

Aya turned a dial on the camera to rewind the film back into its cylindrical cassette, then removed it from the camera. She took two pieces of bare film strip from a drawer, then her hands were a blur of motion, too fast for Aeda to follow. He could see approximately what was happening. Aya pulled the film from the cassette, then used some sweet-smelling solvent and a hinged metal press to splice the additional pieces of film to each end. She threaded it onto the sprockets of a complicated clockwork mechanism, all polished metal and gears and springs and chains, with the film winding up and down like corrugated cardboard. It made five long vertical fingers before running out onto a reel at the other end. Aya’s hands were still for a moment as she examined five mercury thermometers set in each of five tanks, then she adjusted the clockwork mechanism to make some of the loops of film longer or shorter.

“Continuous process,” said Aya. “I can develop motion picture reels with this too.” She picked up the whole contraption and lowered it into the chemical tanks, then took out her pocket watch and turned a crank with carefully measured speed. Gears turned and the film snaked its way through the tanks, passing through pairs of rollers to squeeze away excess liquid between each one. It spooled onto the reel at the far end.

Aya picked up the reel and took it to the sink. She cut off the spliced end with a pocket knife, then the room was filled with the roar of wind as she pulled the developed film through her fingers. “Wind magic drying!” yelled Aya, and papers fluttered and bottles clattered against each other. She cut the other splice, then proudly held the finished result up to the light.

They were negative images, but Aeda could see that the photos had come out well. There could be no doubt what he was doing to Aya, and no doubt that she was enjoying it. “Can we print them?” he asked.

“Yes. I’ll make copies for you like I said.”

Printing went slower, because Aya had to do it one copy at a time. She used a photographic enlarger, which focused electric light through a lens and projected the image of the negative onto the photo paper. Aeda then helped her develop the photo paper, using similar chemicals to those used with the film. This process also inverted the light and dark parts of the image, but because the image was already negative, it flipped it back to positive.

“It’s better to let the prints dry naturally,” said Aya, as she clipped them to a piece of string suspended from a shelf. “I could wind dry them if I was in a hurry, but that risks smudging the print.”

They worked their way through the negatives in sequential order. Aeda admired the clear, sharp prints, and although they were black and white, that only made them look more artistic. He smiled as he washed the photographic fixer from the last shot. “Hey, Aya, didn’t you say Patchouli made weird faces? Check this out.”

“Ah, that’s a good one. I squeezed the ball at exactly the right time.”

“Print me a copy and I’ll make you look like that again.” Aeda watched Aya hurriedly make the final print. She finished developing it herself and hung it up to dry, then packed away the remaining photo paper and headed for the photography studio, turning the light out as she left.

Aeda followed close behind. Aya was just about to take her skirt off again when a loud knocking sound echoed through the building. Somebody shouted in Japanese.

Aya looked at him with wide eyes. “This is trouble. White wolf tengu patrol. Stay where you are.” She unlocked the door to the entrance hall, and faced the interloper.

[To be continued…]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Momiji will be in part 2.


	7. Return of the Tengu (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Momiji interrupts Aeda and Aya's fun, Aeda challenges her to a game of chess. Things don't go exactly as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PGN of the chess game in the end notes, for those who are interested.

Aya unlocked the door and stood blocking the entrance hall. Aeda looked past her to see an attractive woman with short white hair, and pointed wolf-like ears. She wore a red hat, a white shirt with a fluffy white pompom below her throat, and loosely tied detachable sleeves that left her armpits exposed. Her black skirt was decorated with a red flame pattern along the hem.

The stranger was talking in Japanese. Aeda noticed she had a tail, and more worryingly, a curved sword hanging in a scabbard from her belt. Aya argued with her, then called back to him, “Aeda, you’d better come with me.” She stepped forward.

It wasn’t like he had a choice. Even if he found an escape route, there was no chance of making it back to the mansion. Youkai outmatched humans in every way, and this newcomer was clearly no human. But her sword was sheathed, so with some trepidation, Aeda followed Aya into the entrance hall.

Aya closed the door before speaking. “Miss Inubashiri, my guest is a foreigner. Please speak English.”

The wolf-woman stared at him and frowned. Her lips moved silently for a second, and then she spoke, slowly, and with an thick accent that Aeda struggled to understand. “Human, thou hast wrongly set footing on the mountain of the tengu. Madam Shameimaru shares thy guilt, and in time will receive her duefull meed. The protection of Lady Scarlet keeps thou from the full blow of the law, yet from this place thou wilt be removed post-haste.”

“That’s all wrong!” said Aya. “Where did you learn English?”

“England,” said the wolf-woman.

“And he didn’t trespass on the mountain,” Aya continued. “Aeda, you tell her.”

“His presence here is trespass,” said the wolf-woman.

“The Bunbunmaru Headquarters is private property. Aeda, did you touch the mountain?”

He thought back to his unpleasant flight. Aya must have planned for this scenario, because he distinctly remembered her holding him off the ground while she opened the door. It was a delicate situation. The wolf-woman—Inubashiri, Aya said—was looking at him accusingly, and Aya was expecting him to defend himself despite the obvious language barrier? She’d asked the wrong question; it mattered _when_ Inubashiri had learned English.

Still, no harm in being polite, which was no easy matter in this minefield of obsolete etiquette. Although for somebody who’d come shouting and hammering on the door, Inubashiri seemed oddly deferential to Aya. Could it be that Aya outranked her? Whatever the case, a human surely had the lowest status, so he threw in a Japanese-style bow for good measure, and addressed Inubashiri as she had addressed Aya.

“Madam Inubashiri,” said Aeda, “I mean no harm. Aya carried me directly to the floor on which you stand.”

“If so be,” Inubashiri replied, “to her benefit alone. Innocent or guilty, it is my right to expel a human from this place. Step forth.”

That was a problem. He wasn’t finished with Aya, and there was a chance that she’d meant her promise of silent library windows as contingent on getting more oral. And yet it sounded like Inubashiri had accepted Aya’s argument, and she was planning to carry him away of her own volition. Aya remained stubbornly silent.

“Madam Inubashiri, you speak good English, and I thank you for your manners, but I would prefer to stay here. Have I done you wrong?”

“Thou hast interrupted my game of _shōgi_.” The word confused Aeda for a moment before he realized it was Japanese.

“Oh, shōgi. Like chess?”

Inubashiri’s deep amber eyes seemed to bore into Aeda’s skull. Aya stood watching, silent and unreadable, as the feeling of tension increased. “Chess is a game for children,” said Inubashiri.

Aeda clamped his lips tightly shut before he could say anything stupid. He was acutely aware that he wasn’t the one with the sword. “And you cannot return to your game?” he asked.

“It is already adjourned.”

There was still plenty of time before sunset. He didn’t know if either of them had a chess set, but in the worst case he could play on his phone. “Madam Inubashiri,” said Aeda, “I don’t know shōgi, but I would be happy to play you at chess. Would that make amends for interrupting your shōgi?”

Her ears twitched, almost imperceptibly, and her expression softened. “Human, I will play you at chess.”

“Ayaya!” interrupted Aya, setting newspapers fluttering with a flap of her wings. “You know as well as I do that you can’t take him home. That means you’ll have to play in _my_ Bunbunmaru Headquarters. Why should I allow it?”

“Madam Shameimaru, your legal theoric stands on slippery ground. Would you rather I report your guest to the great tengu?”

Aeda hadn’t met enough youkai to feel comfortable making generalizations, but if there was one thing they had in common, it was a sense of competitiveness. Perhaps he could turn this to his advantage. “Madam Inubashiri,” said Aeda, “If you defeat me, I will return to the Scarlet Devil Mansion without complaint. In exchange, will my victory let me remain here?”

“I accept these terms.”

Aya dashed to his side. “Aeda, what are you doing?!” She stopped and composed herself, smoothing her feathers back into position, then continued. “Miss Inubashiri, I have a chess set somewhere. Please wait here while I search for it.”

Inubashiri nodded. Aya grabbed Aeda’s wrist, and with a painful jolt of his shoulder, dragged him much too fast out of the room. She locked the door behind her, then pulled him through the office and into a store room beyond it. She slammed the door shut and shoved Aeda against the wall.

“Aeda, you moron,” said Aya. She held him pinned, her breasts squashed against his chest, and spoke with fast and agitated whispers. “You’re going to lose. Unacceptable. You shouldn’t have the made that offer. You’ll never beat a tengu.”

And then he felt her body relax, and she spoke with a softer tone of voice. “Aeda, tengu are magical creatures. It’s only fair that you use magic too. I saw your phone playing chess with Koakuma in the forest. That’s your magic. There’s nothing wrong with using it. We’ll have to keep it quiet because Momiji—Inubashiri Momiji—might not understand, but it wouldn’t be much of a game with an unaided human versus a tengu would it?”

“Uh…” It sounded like cheating to him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Nonsense. We’re only evening the playing field a little. We don’t need to use it for the whole game. Give me the phone and I’ll feed you some moves. A smart human like you must be a great player, so you won’t need much magic. Just enough to make it fair. If it’s a fair match then you should be able to win.”

“It doesn’t sound fair to me.”

“Obviously it’s fair. Somebody as intelligent as you should understand. And Aeda, I like winners. Just thinking about you beating Momiji makes me wet. We’ll send that bitch away humiliated and then you can fuck me with your big human cock. Aeda, I want you inside me.” She suddenly released him, then touched her index finger to his lips. “But,” she whispered, “first you have to win.”

Aeda felt his pocket. The phone was there. When Aya put it like that, it wasn’t _really_ cheating, was it?

Aya lifted her skirt and pulled her panties aside. “Aeda, you want some of this. You can’t lose to a dog tengu. Beat her and fuck me. If it’s a fair match then you can do it.”

Aeda couldn’t take his eyes off Aya’s pussy. His hand drifted uneasily toward his phone. It would just be a few moves. He’d still play most of it by himself. He took out the phone and put it on silent.

Aya kissed him on the cheek. “Aeda, I’m so glad you understand. We’ll have a good time after you win, okay? Now show me how it works, and quickly. Momiji must be wondering what’s taking so long.”

* * * * *

Aya didn’t have a chessboard in the office, but with her supersonic flight it didn’t take her long to fetch one. Momiji followed her into the photography studio, where Aeda was waiting, kneeling at the low table, with his back to the entrance hall as instructed. His phone was in Aya’s pocket. To his left was the door to the office, which was closed, hiding the carefully aligned mirror on Aya’s desk.

Aya put the chess set on the table. It was a folding wooden set, with the pieces contained inside. Inubashiri knelt on the floor across from Aeda and watched him unpack the pieces, while Aya sat in the chair, waiting silently. 

“Madam Inubashiri,” said Aeda, placing the pieces in their starting positions, “may I ask when you learned English?”

“In the forty-first year of the reign of James the first, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland.” Was that a flicker of emotion on her otherwise expressionless face? Aeda had many more questions, but Inubashi didn’t give him time to ask them. She looked down at the board. “The game begins,” said Inubashiri. “I will take black.”

Aeda turned the board, bringing the white pieces to his side. This was no time to try anything complicated. He reached confidently for his king’s pawn, and moved it two squares forward, to E4. This was the most popular opening for good reason, and the opening he had the most experience with.

Inubashiri immediately moved her own king’s pawn in response, meeting his at E5. This was nothing unexpected. He moved his knight to F3 to attack it, hoping for his favorite Ruy Lopez opening. Inubashiri’s next move was a surprise: pawn to F5. This, he knew, was the Latvian Gambit. It was, depending on who you asked, a bold move, or a reckless move, or just plain crazy. Nobody in his school club had played it. Aeda stared at the board, pondering his options. He didn’t dare turn and look at Aya. Nobody had said anything about time control, but if nothing else it would be embarrassing to spend too long on a move so early in the game.

Should he take the E5 pawn or not? It looked tempting, but they wouldn’t call it a gambit for nothing. The unfamiliar possibilities unfolded in his head, and he could find no obvious alternative. He would have to be equally bold. Knight takes pawn.

In response, Inubashiri moved her queen to F6, threatening his knight. There was no question of letting her capture it. Aeda thought it prudent to keep his queen’s pawn back, which left fleeing to C4 as the only option. He moved his knight to safety, and, unsurprisingly, Inubashiri captured his undefended pawn with her own pawn.

The had now each lost a pawn, but Inubashiri had one in the center, while his pawns were still in their starting rank. He couldn’t allow her to reinforce it at D5. He scrutinized the board for some way to salvage his position.

While he thought, Aeda heard Aya moving behind him. “How rude of me,” said Aya, “forgetting to serve drinks for my guests. I’ll get some sake.” She got up and entered the office.

While Aya rummaged though the clutter, Aeda made up his mind to bring out his other knight to C3. Inubashiri moved her queen back a square to threaten his original knight. He defended with a pawn to D3. He could hear running water and clinking glass as Aya did something out of sight.

Aya returned from the office, carrying a tray with cups and two bottles of sake. She sat facing the now open door, and picked up one of the bottles, which was already open and almost empty.

“This one’s a few days old. Good enough for a human.” She poured the last of the bottle out for Aeda, then opened the other bottle, and poured a cup for Inubashiri, who thanked her in Japanese. Inubashiri took the fresh bottle and poured a cup for Aya.

Aya leaned over to put a arm around Aeda’s shoulders. The two tengu raised their cups, and with a cheerful shout of “kanpai,” drained them in a single gulp. Aeda felt Aya jab her thumb into his shoulder. He said his own rather less enthusiastic “kanpai,” and swallowed the contents of his cup. He was glad that Inubashiri had picked that exact moment to move her bishop to B4, because he couldn’t contain his look of surprise. Aya had filled his cup with water.

Aya returned to her spectator’s position, and Aeda looked carefully at the board with his best attempt at a blank expression. If Patchouli was to be believed, tengu were notoriously heavy drinkers, so he couldn’t expect Aya’s trick to make a serious difference. Maybe Aya had _intended_ for him to get caught, to draw attention from the real trickery. In any case, it was too late to change things. With as yet no further help from Aya, he had to concentrate.

Inubashiri’s bishop was an annoyance, but not an urgent one. He’d happily accept the trade for his knight if it came down to it. For now, Inubashiri’s E4 pawn was more urgent. He moved his D3 pawn to capture it.

She moved her knight out to threaten his pawn. Perhaps more importantly, the move freed up her king for castling. He’d planned to castle himself, but where to move the bishop? His queen was still on its starting square, so he deciding against blocking it in, and moved his bishop to E2.

Inubashiri captured the pawn he’d left stranded, but it didn’t worry him. With calm determination, he castled kingside. She captured his knight with her bishop. Rather that taking the trade immediately, Aeda saw this as a chance for some pawn development. He moved his F2 pawn to threaten Inubashiri’s knight, which which she withdrew back to F6. Only then did he capture her bishop with his B2 pawn. Inubashiri castled kingside.

Aya leaned back and stretched her wings, and stretched her legs out under the table. Her foot brushed against Aeda’s thigh, and she left it there as she sat up straight again. She dragged her sake cup noisily across the table, and he couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at what she was doing. Her other hand was out of sight below the table.

Aya now needed to set up the matching board position on the phone. This would require exceptional stealth, with one hand, and blind except for occasional glances at the mirror in the office. If everything was aligned correctly then Aya’s superhuman vision should be able to make out the screen without letting Inubashiri see anything unexpected.

Still, this could be no easy task, so Aeda left her to it and concentrated on the game. He wasn’t expecting help any time soon, and the game continued for what seemed a very long time. Rook to B2. Inubashiri’s knight to C6. His own knight to E3. Her pawn to D5. His bishop to A3, threatening her rook. Her rook moving out of the way to E8. Another move of his bishop, to C5. Inubashiri threatening it with a pawn to B6, and then moving it again to D4 to set up a trade with her knight. Inubashiri taking the trade, and Aeda capturing with his queen, only to move it back a square after Inubashiri threatened with a pawn. Inubashiri moving her own queen to E6.

Aeda stopped and took a deep breath. They were entering the middle game, and it was now clear that the opening had gone less well than he had hoped. Both sides had equal material, but Inubashiri had the better position. Her pawn structure looked good, while he had doubled pawns isolated on his C file. Her queen was in a better position. Aeda was playing white, which meant he was supposed to have the advantage. The board wasn’t supposed to look like this. And worst of all, he had no idea what to do next.

He felt tense. This plan was a bad idea after all. But when Aya had said _that_ , how was he supposed to resist? And then flashing her pussy… She was still resting her foot on his leg, which wasn’t making it easy to focus. Then, he felt her foot moving. A rhythmic tapping, just barely enough for him to feel it, then a second’s pause, then two more quick taps. The computer move, it had to be. But where? He wasn’t sure how many taps Aya had made in the first group.

Assuming the first taps indicated the destination file, and the second the destination rank, there were only three possibilities. It had definitely been more than two taps, so the queenside rook stayed where it was, and moving his queen made no sense, so it couldn’t have been four taps either. That left six, which meant either the kingside rook or the king. It had to be the king. Six then two. King to F2. He might have seen it himself if he hadn’t been so flustered. But now the game had changed. As bad as he felt about it, he was now a cheater, and there was no going back.

Time seemed to speed up as Aeda focused all his attention on Aya’s foot. She tapped out position after position on his thigh. Pieces shuffled about the board. Inubashiri traded with him: his bishop for her knight, his queen for hers. She captured the pawn that had defended his queen earlier. A trade of rooks. A pawn capture on each side, then a futile rush for promotion of Inubashiri’s pawn. His rook captured it immediately after it reached the final rank. A trade of his remaining knight for her remaining bishop.

By this point they were down to four pawns and a rook each. The position looked even. But this, as Aeda very well knew, was a situation where computers excelled. After some complicated tactical maneuvering, Inubashiri was down to a single rook, while he still had a rook and two pawns. The game was all but won. Inubashiri looked irritated. She put the half-full sake bottle on the floor, put her left hand under the table, then suddenly flipped it into the air.

Everything went flying. The cups and empty bottle crashed hard onto the tatami floor but did not break. Chess pieces rolled and scattered. Both tengu sprung to their feet, and Aeda shuffled away as fast as he could. Amid the commotion, he had to smile. A table flip! A real table flip! He’d heard stories, but never seen one in person. Now the table was lying on its side, and the game was very decidedly over.

Inubashiri had her sword drawn. The point was inches from Aeda’s phone, which was lying on the floor with the final game position visible on the screen.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Ayayayaya…” said Aya.

For a moment Aeda was worried Inubashiri was going to stab his phone. “Madam Inubashiri,” he said, and bowed low,“I apologize must humbly. I express my most sincere and deep regret for this foolish action.” Not the phone, thought Aeda, please, not the phone. Outside World technology was irreplaceable.

But to his great relief, Inubashiri sheathed her sword. “Good man, I blame you not. I blame _Aya_.” She picked up the phone, and held it up to her.

“I can explain!” protested Aya.

Inubashiri pocketed the phone, then held up her hands behind her pointed ears. “Aya, thy whispers are as thunder to me; thou spake no secrets. Thy plot is undone. Shall I report it?”

Aya flapped her wings in consternation. “I’m sure that’s not necessary. Aren’t you going to take the human away?”

“When he hath most entertained me? Nay, I shall not.” She turned to Aeda. “Good man, I would you call me ‘Momiji,’ with no need of formal speech.”

By now Aeda had remembered that “you” was once the formal version of “thou.” Momiji had switched his and Aya’s pronouns, which he was sure was an insult to Aya. It was lucky, he thought, that his modern English had made him accidentally polite. And now it seemed Momiji was offering friendship, which meant there was some chance of getting the phone back. Confiscation as evidence was almost as bad as stabbing 

“Momiji, I thank thee. I would thou call me ‘Aeda,’ with the same lack of formality.”

“And Aya,” said Momiji, “think not thou deceived me with thy false sake.” Momiji picked up the unfinished bottle of genuine sake. “Aeda, I drink to thee.” Glaring at Aya as though daring her to complain, Momiji drank half the remaining sake. She passed Aeda the bottle. “Take what by deeds dishonorable was withheld from thee.”

Aeda looked at the bottle, then at Aya. She said nothing, but she didn’t look happy. But then again, she wasn’t the one holding his phone. While Momiji had the upper hand it was crucial he stayed on good terms with her. And now that it had turned out to be for nothing, he was annoyed by Aya’s water substitution. He raised the bottle and drank. The sake was good enough that it seemed a shame to finish it in one gulp, but he imitated Momiji, then put the empty bottle down amid the chess pieces.

“Thank you, Aya,” said Aeda. It was her sake after all. She still looked unhappy. Unsure what to do next, Aeda picked up the table and began gathering the spilled items.

Just as he finished setting things in order, Momiji looked through the open door into the office. “Is that I mirror I see?” she asked. “Such ingenious wickedness.” 

Aya moved faster than his eyes could follow to block her. “That’s private property. You’ve no right to enter.”

“What crimes dost thou conceal? Stand aside.” She pulled back her lips in a toothy snarl.

“Okay, okay, it’s only the Bunbunmaru office.” Aya entered, and Momiji and Aeda followed close behind. Aya stood blocking the door to the photographic darkroom.

“What lies beyond that door?” asked Momiji.

“Nothing interesting,” said Aya.

“Thy manner breeds suspicion.”

“If you want to know so badly, look.” Aya flung the door open, and Momiji entered. She turned on the red light. There was no way she could avoid seeing the photos.

“These are no forgeries?” asked Momiji.

Aeda followed Aya into the darkroom. “They’re real,” said Aya.

Momiji examined the photos. Two copies each of the whole series, now almost dry. Twenty-four different shots of Aeda licking Aya’s pussy, from vague implication to the most explicit detail. “Aeda does it every time we meet,” said Aya smugly.

“Aeda, does she speak true?”

“It’s true. I lick her every time.” No need to mention how many times they’d met.

Momiji couldn’t take her eyes off the photos. She moved along the line, looking at each in turn. She stopped at the final shot, carefully examining the image of Aya with eyes closed and mouth open, face contorted in orgasm.

Aya interrupted, “You wouldn’t lick a _dog_ tengu’s pussy, would you Aeda? I’d never fuck a human who did that.”

“Aya,” said Aeda, “Momiji is a wolf tengu, not a dog. You said so yourself.”

“That’s right!” said Momiji happily.

“Did I?” asked Aya. “Doesn’t matter. They’re the same thing.”

“Who’s the native English speaker?” Better to pass it off as a mistake than an insult. The feeling of tension was growing, like when Meiling had confronted the childlike youkai at the festival. A fight could break out any moment, and Aeda didn’t want to be collateral damage. He tried to defuse things. “Aya, I already said I’d lick you again,” said Aeda. “I haven’t changed my mind. But I lost the chess game. I’m disqualified for cheating. You said you’d only have sex with a winner. So why shouldn’t I lick Momiji too, if she wants it?”

“There’s no way she’d suck your dick as well as I can.”

“I don’t care. I’m not asking anything in return.”

“She’s got your phone,” said Aya.

“Momiji,” said Aeda, “Patchouli likes to play with the phone. If you keep it—I mean if _thou_ keep it, then Patchouli will be unhappy, and if Patchouli is unhappy then Remilia is unhappy. Must thou punish Aya?”

Momiji was paying more attention to the photos than their conversation. She turned and looked at Aeda, while the deep red light shined down on her. “Aeda,” she said softly, “Countless years have passed since I’ve felt the touch of a human. Infold me.” She spread her arms. The meaning was obvious enough. Aeda hugged her close.

“You’ve already done it with a human?” asked Aya incredulously.

“No,” said Momiji. “More than 400 years ago, a great magician summoned me to England. He was a wise and noble man, but very old when I met him. I stayed not a year with him before time led him to his end. He was always kind to me.” Aeda felt Momiji squeeze him tighter, her chin pressing against his shoulder. “Aeda, it would please me well if thou rubbed my ears.”

Momiji lifted her head, and gazed into his eyes. Her face had a strange otherworldly beauty in the red light, and an oddly sad expression. Aeda reached for her ears with both hands. He stroked them between thumb and forefinger, feeling the soft fur against his skin, and the warm flesh beneath it. Her ear twitched as he touched the the tuft of fur covering the ear canal, so he moved to focus on the pointed tip.

“Ah…” Momiji muttered to herself, and pushed her forehead against him. He kept rubbing her ears.

“Stop that!” said Aya. “Who said you could be all lovey-dovey in my darkroom?”

Momiji pulled away and bared her teeth in a vicious-looking snarl. She growled, the sound reverberating off the walls and vibrating deep within Aeda’s chest. Then her expression softened, and she smiled as though nothing had happened. “Aeda, again rub my ears.”

He didn’t hesitate. Momiji looked unbelievably cute waiting for him, and her ears were wonderfully soft and fluffy. She smelled good too. Whoever had decided armpit vents were fashionable had the right idea. Aeda continued rubbing her ears, and heard a steady swishing noise behind her.

“Your tail is wagging,” said Aya. “How undignified.”

Aeda’s body shook with an almost subsonic rumble as Momiji growled again. He didn’t stop rubbing her ears, and she didn’t stop wagging her tail.

“Aeda,” said Momiji, “rub my head.”

He put her hat down on the bench and ran his fingers over her scalp. Momiji pressed her chin against his shoulder, and Aeda continued petting her.

Aya interrupted with a loud and obnoxious fake vomiting noise. Aeda turned to see her watching with an exaggerated expression of disgust. She removed her fingers from her open mouth, and addressed Momiji. “Headpats too?! You can’t be serious.” Momiji simply continued to wag her tail and cling to him.

“Aeda, Aeda, rub _my_ ears!” said Aya. She pushed her body up against him, and tried to peel Momiji’s arms from his torso, which only made her cling harder.

“Careful, please,” said Aeda. They weren’t exactly hurting him, but if they really started playing rough then things could end badly.

Aya stepped behind Momiji, letting her tail slap against her hip. “Aeda, rub my ears!” she ordered. He was skeptical. Did Aya really want it, or was she just trying to irritate Momiji? Either way, it was better than a fight starting.

“One ear each,” said Aeda. Momiji kept her chin on his shoulder while he stroked her ear with his left hand, and he reached out to rub an ear of Aya’s with his right. Aya glared at him with an annoyed look while he moved his fingers over the pointed tip of her ear. It just wasn’t the same without fur.

“Enough of that,” said Aya.

Momiji looked up at him. “Aeda,” she said, “touch my tail.” He reached down to find her tail swishing back and forth through a hole in her skirt. He wrapped his hand around the base of it, feeling the soft, thick fur between his fingers. Her tail jerked erratically for a few seconds before stopping. “Aeda,” said Momiji, “rub my tail and kiss me.”

Sliding his other hand to the back of her head, Aeda moved in to kiss her. Marisa would have approved of his technique. He softly kissed Momiji’s wet mouth, never hurrying, enjoying the touch of her tongue and lips. At the same time he ran a hand along her fluffy tail, stroking upward from base to tip. He could feel strong muscle under the fur, tensing now and then in little bursts of wagging motion. Momiji kissed him more forcefully with each rub of her tail, and slipped a hand under his shirt. There was no way she could fail to notice his growing erection.

“Are you done yet?” asked Aya.

Momiji broke off the kiss. “No,” she said. Her eyes ran over the display of lewd photographs, again stopping at the final picture. “Aeda,” she said, “I would thou lick my cunt.”

Aeda suppressed a chuckle. Momiji’s strange English didn’t change what he thought about eating pussy. “I’d love to,” said Aeda. “And Aya, I’ll lick you again when we’re done, so please don’t interrupt. Momiji, will you forgive our chess cheating?”

“Take for me _shashin_ like thine,” said Momiji.

“Photographs,” said Aya, and she immediately looked more cheerful. “I’m going to keep the negatives. And you’re going to give Aeda back his phone, and take him back home when we’re finished with him.”

“That I will do,” said Momiji.

* * * * *

Back in the photography studio, Momiji unbuttoned the tail-hole of her skirt. She dropped it to the floor, revealing old-fashioned bloomers, also with a tail-hole. “Aeda,” she said, “thy shirt is dirty.” She looked directly at the collar.

“I’ll take it off,” said Aeda. He did so, and Momiji ran her hands over Aeda’s bare chest, tail wagging happily. “Why not take off thy own?” he asked. “I want to see thy breasts.”

“Both of you get naked,” said Aya, who was busy with a camera. “It will make for better photos.”

Momiji put the phone on a shelf, and began to undress. Her breasts bounced free from her bra, beautifully round and firm. She unbuttoned the tail-hole of her bloomers and pulled them slowly down. Her white pubic hair was dense and fluffy, and although shorter than Aya’s, it covered more area, spreading onto her upper thighs. Aeda couldn’t wait to feel it against his face. He finished undressing and followed her to the armchair.

Momiji sat slouched in the chair with her ass over the edge of the seat to let her tail hang free. Aeda knelt between her legs, and ran his fingers through her soft pubes. She looked down at him, waiting in eager anticipation. He brought his face in close to her pussy. The smell was deliciously arousing, an erotic, sweaty scent that made his cock swell to full hardness. Momiji certainly hadn’t washed before calling on them.

He started slowly, licking her with the same gentle strokes that Patchouli loved so much. Aya was moving behind him, but that was no concern of his. Momiji had appeared more interested in their last photo than in their more artistic endeavors, so he wasn’t going to compromise his technique for Aya’s camera. He heard the clunk of a shutter. No matter. Aya had already had her fun, and now it was Momiji’s turn. Aeda licked steadily, feeling the texture of her inner labia on his tongue, enjoying her salty taste.

Over the past few weeks, Aeda had begun to feel proud of his cunnilingus skills. It was to some extent justified: he’d licked so much pussy that he’d stopped counting, and he knew exactly what his regular partners liked. Momiji was a mystery to him. In contrast to Aya’s loud vocalizations, Momiji remained resolutely silent. In contrast to Koakuma’s athletic writhing, she remained motionless. Her pussy was no wetter than could be attributed to his own saliva. Even her tail was still. It was a little disconcerting to have no obvious effect, but Aeda was in no hurry. Momiji smelled every bit as good as Patchouli, so he was happy to take his time.

Aya was less than happy. “Hey, you two, be more interesting! How can I get good photos like this?”

Aeda heard a low growl from Momiji, then the sound of the camera again. He continued licking. He was certain he had more than an hour before he had to return home, and at this pace he felt he could lick forever. Slowly, steadily, he moved his tongue and lips, eating her out with all the skill he’d learned.

Aeda wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Aya was doing something with her photographic equipment, but he suppressed his curiosity. No matter how interesting it might sound, Momiji’s pussy had his full attention. Then, he felt her move—at last, some reaction. Momiji was touching his head. And then her fingers on his ears. Fingertips running up and down the edge, then his ear lobe between her thumb and forefinger. That doesn’t work on humans, thought Aeda. Cute of her to try it though. He didn’t want to lift his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t help but smile. Maybe she’d like his lips in this new position. Her pubes tickled his nose, and he heard the camera again.

And while Momiji continued to rub his ears, and while he continued to lick her pussy, Aeda felt moisture on his lips that definitely wasn’t his own saliva. He was doing something right. The only thing was to continue. Aeda felt grateful for all the practice the other girls had given him. Even after all this time his tongue wasn’t tired. He licked a little faster, with a little more pressure, moving closer to Momiji’s clit but still not touching it directly. He felt her squeeze his earlobes for a second, and he continued licking.

Aeda’s tongue slipped easily over Momiji’s wet pussy. Holding it soft and relaxed, he touched it to her clit, then paused, waiting for any reaction. He heard an intake of breath, almost inaudible, then a soft “ah” as she exhaled. He slowly licked her clit. Momiji moved her hands to the top of his head and buried her fingers in his hair. Aeda could hear her breathing heavily as she licked, but no further vocalizations. He licked steadily and firmly, continuing his pattern with patient diligence. It came as a complete surprise when he felt Momiji’s hips flex and her hands pushing him away.

Momiji’s face was flushed. Aeda licked his lips while she smiled down at him. “Aeda,” she said, “I thank thee.” He was happy to hear it.

Aeda turned to see what Aya was doing. He saw her sitting on the floor, watching them through the viewfinder of her camera, her skirt pulled up, and and her other hand in her panties. Somehow this didn’t surprise him.

“Hey!” said Aya. “Don’t stop now! I’m almost finished.”

“Is that a hobby of yours?” asked Aeda. He had his suspicions about Aya masturbating to him and Patchouli earlier, and now it seemed more likely than ever.

“Come on! Get your tongue back down there!”

“Aeda has done enough,” said Momiji.

Aeda stuck his tongue out at Aya. “You don’t want it in your own pussy?”

After a second of indecision, Aya ripped off her skirt and panties. She got down on hands and knees, ass facing Aeda, and arched her back to show him her pussy. She reached over her wing to finger herself, and pulled it out slick with vaginal fluids. “I want your cock in there,” said Aya. “Fuck me, human. And touch my wings.”

After spending so long between Momiji’s legs, Aeda was hard and ready, but he couldn’t resist teasing Aya a little. He knelt behind her and touched the tip of his cock to her pussy. “I thought we weren’t going to do it,” he said, rubbing it against her opening.

“Aeda! Put it in!”

He thrust forward an inch, slipping the tip into her pussy. “What was that about only fucking winners?”

“I’ve changed my mind!”

“You know I’m only hard because I’ve been licking Momiji, right?”

“I don’t care! Put it in! Fuck me hard!”

Aeda rammed his hips forward, sinking the full length of his cock inside her wet pussy. With the scent of Momiji’s pussy still lingering on his face, it took all his willpower to avoid cumming at once. He paused within her, and reached for the base of her wings. He massaged them like he had when they first met, and fucked her with long, deep strokes.

Aya wasn’t so quiet without her camera. If anything her moans were a little too theatrical, more a challenge to Momiji than anything spontaneous. But her pussy felt great, and it was as wet on his cock as it had been on his tongue. He pounded her fast, squeezing her wings with each thrust.

“Fuck me harder, human!” called Aya.

Aeda’s hips slammed against her ass. He stayed deeper within her now, because her pussy was so slick that he was worried he’d slip out. Despite his vigorous thrusting he wasn’t feeling tired. Practice with Patchouli and the others had gotten him better at vaginal sex too. But no great endurance was needed, because before long he felt Aya tense around him, and her wings flap, and her body shudder. He gave a few more hard thrusts, and pumped her pussy full of cum.

He pulled out. Momiji was watching from the chair. “I’m done with Aeda,” said Aya. “Get dressed and take him home for me.”

“No,” said Momiji. “I too wish to fuck Aeda.”

“Too late. He’s already soft.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Aeda. “Give it a minute or two. Let me lick you again, Momiji. I mean thou. That will get me hard quick.”

Momiji spread her legs, and Aeda buried his face in her furry pussy.

“Are you two going to do it ‘doggy style?’” asked Aya.

“What is doggy style?”

While Aeda licked Momiji, he heard Aya laugh. There was conversation in Japanese, interrupted by Momiji growling.

“No,” said Momiji firmly. “I shall lie on my back. Aeda, is thy rod hard?”

He lifted his mouth from her pussy. “Almost.”

“I am ready for it.”

It wasn’t long before Aeda was ready too. Momiji pulled the cushion off the chair and set it on the floor. She lay down with it under her hips, again positioning her tail comfortably. Aeda lowered himself on top of her, while Aya mounted the camera on a tripod and aimed it at him.

“I’m putting it in,” said Aeda.

“Yes,” said Momiji.

He thrust forward, penetrating her more gently than he had Aya. Momiji’s pussy was tight, and she looked somewhat uncomfortable, so he took it slow. Once he was all the way in, he paused, and took her head in his hands. He began to rub her ears again. Momiji hugged him, and threw her legs around his back, holding him in place. “Kiss,” she said.

Aeda kissed her. They continued kissing while he began to move. Aeda pumped his cock back and forth, his body squeezed against Momiji’s, and his tongue in her mouth. Her pussy felt incredible. Aya was photographing them again, but he didn’t care. Momiji was making him feel good and he’d try his best to do the same for her.

For a long time, Momiji moved her hips with him, faster than before. She held him close, and kissed more intensely, putting her tongue deep in his mouth. Aeda could feel her sweat, damp against his skin. Her scent was driving him wild. He fucked with steady rhythm, plunging his hard cock in and out of her pussy. Momiji held onto him and continued kissing.

Her pussy was getting wetter. It wouldn’t be only Aya’s vaginal fluids on the cushion, thought Aeda. He kept fucking, enjoying the intense stimulation of her tight pussy, and the smell of her sweat. He knew he’d never have lasted this long when he first came to Gensokyo, but with more experience he could make the pleasure last.

Momiji was still moving her hips, but her tongue was still. Aeda raised his head, and saw her with eyes closed and a blissful look on her face. “Yes, Aeda…” she muttered. “Halt not, my good man.”

He kept moving, holding back from orgasm as best he could. He could feel sweat on his own skin, and his heart beating faster, but he was much fitter than he once was. He thrust fast and rhythmically, setting Momiji’s body bouncing up and down on the cushion. From the look on her face, and the flood of moisture in her pussy, he didn’t think he had long to wait. After a few more powerful thrusts, he heard a gasp from Momiji, and her muscles tensed, and her legs locked tight around his waist. She pulled him close as he made one last thrust, and his own orgasm shot semen deep inside her.

Momiji held him in place while his cock softened. Their breathing gradually slowed. Momiji kissed him again before releasing him.

Aeda stood up. Aya wasn’t masturbating this time, but she was busy with the camera. “How about those photos?” asked Aeda.

“I’ll get them printed.”

Aeda and Momiji got dressed while Aya headed for the darkroom. Aeda picked up his phone with no complaint from Momiji. They joined Aya, and watched her print the photographs. She looked at her pocket watch.

“It’s getting late,” said Aya. “I don’t want to make Meiling mad. You’d better go home.”

“Give me the photos first.”

The latest batch needed wind drying, but there was hardly any quality loss. The photographs of him and Momiji weren’t so artistic looking, but there was no doubt they were having fun. Aya put all his photos in an envelope, then led them back to the entrance hall.

“Fly him back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Momiji.”

“I will do so.”

Aya kissed him on the cheek. “Humans are more fun than I thought,” she said. “I’ll see you again. I haven’t forgotten about that oral you owe me.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Aeda. “And more with thou, Momiji.” He climbed onto Momiji’s back and let her fly him home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. Nc4 fxe4  
> 5\. Nc3 Qf7 6. d3 Bb4 7. dxe4 Nf6 8. Be2 Nxe4  
> 9\. O-O Bxc3 10. f3 Nf6 11. bxc3 O-O 12. Rb1 Nc6  
> 13\. Ne3 d5 14. Ba3 Re8 15. Bc5 b6 16. Bd4 Nxd4  
> 17\. Qxd4 c5 18. Qd3 Qe6 19. Kf2 Ba6 20. c4 d4  
> 21\. Nf5 Nd5 22. Rfe1 Nf4 23. Qe4 Nxe2 24. Rxe2 Qxe4  
> 25\. Rxe4 Bxc4 26. a4 Rxe4 27. fxe4 Be6 28. a5 bxa5  
> 29\. Rb5 a4 30. Rxc5 a3 31. Ra5 a2 32. Ne7+ Kf7  
> 33\. Nd5 a1=Q 34. Rxa1 Bxd5 35. exd5 a5 36. Kf3 a4  
> 37\. Ke4 Rc8 38. Rc1 Rc4 39. Kd3 Rb4 40. Re1 a3  
> 41\. d6 a2 42. d7 Rb8 43. Ra1 Ke7 44. Rxa2 Rf8  
> 45\. Ra7 Rf2 46. d8=Q+ Kxd8 47. Rxg7 h5 48. h4 Rf8  
> 49\. Rg5 Rf2 50. g3 Rg2 51. Kxd4 Rxc2 52. Rxh5 *

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at writing well established characters, which was more difficult than I expected. All feedback and comments welcome.


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